My Name On Your Lips
by Katarina-hime
Summary: Hinata calls Naruto a plethora of different names, some he enjoys more than others. NaruHina. Cover at by @pastillesch on tumblr
1. Naruto-kun

" _Naruto-kun_ ,"

Naruto smiled, turning to see his girlfriend. Yes, Hinata was his girlfriend. His own, personal girlfriend.

And he was her boyfriend. That word seemed weird to him. He, Naruto Uzumaki, was somebody's boyfriend. Not just somebody, though.

"Hinata!"

He pulled her into a hug, pressing her against him, breathing her in. He couldn't do it for as long as he would've like. They were in public after all. It was spring time now in Konoha, much nicer weather than a couple months ago. That winter had been particularly snowy and cold. One of the coldest Rinne Festivals Naruto could remember. But it was a good thing that's when he got his brand new, first ever girlfriend to keep him nice and cozy.

"What are you doing today?" Hinata asked, pulling away.

Her head tilted almost all the way back to look up at him. He hadn't noticed before they started dating, but Hinata was small. Easily the shortest Kunoichi her age. Naruto himself was the tallest, a far cry different from back when they were Gennin, and he and Hinata were almost the same height. Not that he had really noticed back then.

There was always a bitterness, remembering how he had over looked someone as perfect as Hinata for so long.

But he wasn't overlooking her anymore. No, and he never would again.

He slid his hands down her soft arms all the way to her tiny little hands, lacing their fingers together. The sun was in the middle of the sky, noon time, hot and shinning down on her thick black hair, making almost glow navy. He wanted to brush his fingers through it, but he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to do that in public. Dating someone as prim and proper as Hinata was had taught him some much-needed social cues, and he was fairly sure this was not the place for hair-caressing.

He could imagine how her face would burn with embarrassment if he did. It was honestly too easy to embarrass her. Especially in the beginning of their relationship. Every kiss, every brush, every touch would send her face a flame and her words would start to stutter, her fingers got all fidgety. It was so cute though, definitely hard to pass up.

" _Naruto-kun_?" Her voice was so light and sweet, the velvet sound practically caressing his name as she spoke it.

Even though it was quiet, it brought him right back to reality.

Reality, which was him standing in the middle of the street, holding both of his girlfriend's hands in his own, staring at her like the idiot he was. He glanced around quickly, hoping that he hadn't pissed Sakura off by ignoring her in favor of day dreaming about his lovely relationship with his most favorite lady. But thankfully his friend was engrossed in a conversation with Kiba, distractedly petting Akamaru's fluffy head.

Safe this time.

"I'm sorry Hinata, what did you say?" Naruto laughed nervously.

She just smiled, sweetly at him. Hinata seemed to have an endless amount of patience for Naruto, which he was constantly grateful for.

"I was wondering what you were doing today, _Naruto-kun_." She giggled.

"Oh!" Naruto smiled, letting go of one of her hands to ruffle up the back of his shortened hair. "We were hoping some more missions had opened up, but no luck. So, we were just gonna get some training in, probably."

Training was the next best thing after Sakura had shot down his Ichiraku suggestion.

His eyes slid over Hinata, dressed in her own training gear. "What about you?"

"Same." She smiled, her beautiful white eyes crinkling around the edges. "Well, we were. Until a little mishap."

Akamaru, whined, lowering his head in shame. Sakura looked down quickly, startled, looking as if she had upset the over grown puppy. Like it was an inside joke, Kiba started laughing at his poor canine, and even Hinata let out a giggle, using her free hand to cover her mouth.

"Wha-" Naruto jumped, finally noticing Shino, who barely let out a barely audible, single 'ha'.

"Oh, hi Shino."

Hinata leaned away, bending over to console the dog. "Akamaru didn't mean to." She spoke softly through her giggles.

"Didn't mean to wha-?"

That's when Naruto had finally noticed. The lavender, sleeveless top that Hinata now wore as her training gear, was torn over her hip. Jaggedly ripped off, clearly by dog claws, exposing her last rib, down to the beginning of her black shorts. Pale white, creamy skin, that Naruto knew for a fact had been unblemished previously, now held three, uniform scratches.

In a flash, Naruto had let go of her hand, grabbed her by the hips and, squatting down to examine it.

" _Naruto-kun_!" She squealed.

He had done it now.

Practically holding her butt in his hand in public was a far worse offense than just brushing his fingers through her pretty hair, but he couldn't help himself.

Hinata had amazing skin. Soft. Pale. Warm. Almost completely unblemished. She had a few scars here and there, nothing compared to most ninja he knew. Even with Kurama's healing Naruto himself was littered with them, crisscrossing all across his much darker skin. Her palms had scars on them, from years of tearing them open in intense training, though her super cool ointment she made had softened them. She also had very large scar from a massive chakra rod being rammed through her chest, on his own account.

When he had first seen that one, under her heart, right beneath her left breast, the air had left his chest.

She had taken that.

For him.

After that, he hated seeing her skin marred. His fault or not. He wanted to protect her forever.

His thumb ghosted across the scratches in distaste.

" _Naruto-kun_ ," Hinata cried again.

Naruto finally glanced up at her, his head bending back this time to look up at her.

Her face was flushed tomato red, eyes wide as dinner plates.

He had definitely done it this time.

"Sorry," He smiled sheepishly, slowly raising back up to full height, keeping his hands wrapped around her hips.

Suddenly, without thinking it through too much, as he did with most decisions, he unzipped his jacket, wrenching it off. Leaving him in his white under shirt, which Sakura was always telling him to tuck in, was untucked. Wrapping the black jacket around his petite girlfriend, and then in one motion, picking her up, cradling her against his chest.

" _Naruto-kun!_ " She gasped, nervously.

"Don't worry," He nuzzled her cheek. "I got you."

A single bend of his knees and he jumped, landing on the closet roof top.

"Naruto! You idiot!" "Hey, what gives you ass?!" Kiba and Sakura screamed after him. He didn't give them much thought.

The jacket on Hinata covered her all the way down to mid-thigh, passed where her socks started. The sleeves came down, covering her hands, but she was still trying to fidget her fingers together through the cloth. Her cheeks were still heated, eyes wide and doll like, trained on him. Her lips, pouted together. Her body, so small, soft and warm against his chest. Looking down at her, she looked very similar to what she did from so long ago.

Before they were together.

Before he knew he loved her.

He didn't know how that time could even exist. But it did. Whole expanses of time where he didn't appreciate how beautiful she was. How cute she was. How smart and strong and sweet she was. How she said his name.

He loved how she said his name.

" _Naruto-kun_?" She asked, clearly confused and embarrassed.

He _was_ just holding her like a baby on some random roof.

"Don't worry Hina." He beamed at his girlfriend. "I'll patch you back up." His sweet, boyfriend-ly smile shifted, impish. Up to no good. His voice lowered, husky already and now dark and rich. "Then, I'll kiss you all better." He said in a way that was obviously hinted at much more than kissing.

" _Naruto-kun_." Hinata whined, mortified at his teasing, tucking her face into his chest. Though he saw her lips curving into a smile.

She liked his kisses as much as he liked giving them.

And oh, how he liked giving them.


	2. Naruto-senpai

**Naruto-senpai**

Being appreciated was a new feeling for Naruto. Being wanted. Being admired.

He didn't grow up experiencing them. Quite the opposite in fact.

When Iruka had asked him to come demonstrate for his students the first time, Naruto had agreed heartily. Iruka had been there for him for a long time. Had believe in him. He could do a simple favor as show up at the academy and do some kicks and punches.

No problem. It's the least he could do for someone who he thought of as his father.

But that was before he found out how the kids felt about him now.

At first, the commotion, the ruckus he caused was flattering. Exciting even. All he had wanted his whole life was to be acknowledged. To be known. He was Naruto Uzumaki! He was going to become Hokage. After years and years of screaming that saying into people's faces, with only Iruka and Hinata not rolling their eyes at him, it was refreshing to have people know his name already.

"Naruto-senpai!" They screamed excitedly.

It took so much out of the lesson to quiet down the class. Over and over.

It started after he had defeated Pain. It only grew after the war. After Madara and Kaguya. He had to duck into alley ways and make up ridiculous excuses even before him and his team had saved everyone, yet again, when they saved the world from Toneri Otsutsuki.

Which was his favorite mission to date.

Sure, it had only added to the hysteria revolving around him.

But, he had figured out he loved Hinata. And that Hinata had loved him. She had for a while. Long before he had saved anyone. Long before anyone had recognized the greatness in him. Hinata had loved and appreciated him. Even before Iruka. She was the very first.

He was thankful beyond belief that he had her now.

Which is why when he could sense Hinata's chakra at the academy, he was beyond excited. Sage Mode had its pros and cons. Sitting through Iruka's class after that was basically torture. Hands drumming on his thighs, feet tapping the ground.

It felt incredibly reminiscent of when he was an actual student. Class had been beyond boring, and he was constantly looking for a way to shirk it off. Usually dragging Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji down with him. As an adult, Naruto now understood how annoying of a child he had been. He couldn't even fathom the headaches he had given Iruka.

Well he _could_ fathom them.

"Naruto-senpai!" An entire class of what looked like eleven-year-old girls had gathered at the windows, screaming for his attention, fighting each other for a better spot to look at him through the windows.

He let out a quick sigh. Trying to shake off the distraction and get back what Iruka had asked him to do.

The screams of 'Naruto-senpai' brought up some unfortunate memories. Of how insecure if had made Hinata feel during the Rinne Festival, which he had only learned about from being in that crazy genjutsu. All of this had happened before he knew about her feelings. Before he knew about his feelings.

But still, it had happened. 

And he didn't like it.

He wanted to see her.

Yes, he wanted to see her because he loved her. But also, even though he was fairly sure it was an irrational fear, he didn't want her to feel insecure about him again.

Sure, there was now dozens of preteens shouting his name. But the only one he cared about was Hinata.

He was practically hopping from foot to foot, waiting for Iruka to dismiss his class.

"Got something else to do today, Naruto-kun?" Iruka asked, amused at his former students very familiar antics.

"Oh, uh," Naruto ruffled his hair, sensing that he was caught, and laughed nervously to himself. "Sorry, Iruka-sensei, it's just, I think Hinata might be here."

Iruka's brows came together, nose wrinkling, distorting his scar along the bridge. "Hinata-chan?" He asked, slowly. His face smoothed out and his eyes focused in recognition. "Oh, Shino-kun was preparing his class room today. Or should I say, Shino- _sensei_." He laughed at his own joke. "Yes, yes, I think Kiba-kun was were too, helping."

Hearing verbal confirmation that Hinata was in fact in the vicinity was unnecessary. Sage Mode didn't lie. But the affirmation that she was just a hop step away had his fingers twitching to dash to the exit. Sure, he had seen her just last night.

But, he could still miss her.

Iruka laughed, looking at Naruto after a long moment. "Go on, Naruto."

Part of Naruto had been embarrassed, that Iruka had seen through him so easily. That he couldn't stand to be away from Hinata.

The other part couldn't give two flying fucks.

Especially as he neared the room that he could sense her chakra in. He slowed down right before he burst through it, not wanting to startle or embarrass her. From his sensory ability, he could tell that there was only Hinata and Shino in the classroom. The door to the room was open and he tried to saunter up as nonchalantly as possible.

He liked to think that Hinata thought he was cool.

She probably saw straight though that pathetic façade. It wasn't call the _Byakugan_ for nothing.

He decided not to announce himself straight away. Only because, when he saw Hinata, he was stalled.

Naruto always thought Hinata was pretty. Training, she had that gorgeous determination that he had come to respect, even as far back as the Chunnin Exams. Plus, her new mission gear was sexy as fuck. But even mundane things, like cooking dinner, her stirring multiple pots, adding seasoning here and there, tasting things, tittering around his kitchen, her long hair swishing down her back, took his breath away. The very few times that he could talk her into sleeping over, her pressed against his chest and the wall of his tiny bed, her face completely relaxed and serene like a porcelain doll.

Almost anytime he caught her face, soft and beautiful, it struck him deep into his chest. She was beautiful. And he loved her.

A lot.

This time was like all the rest.

She was wearing civilian clothes, which he also liked her in.

Her choice of attire was very similar to her personality. Light colored, soft, comfortable, pretty, understated. She was wearing a light pink maxi skirt, a white shirt and sweater hanging off of her shoulders. Her hair, which Naruto had assumed that she had left down but was now tied into a loose knot to keep out of her face. It looked like she had also tried to brush her bangs away, causing a part, extenuating her small, straight nose. Her eyes were scanning the stack of books she was holding, her lips pursed in concentration.

Naruto's chest tightened.

Not for the first time, had he had a sudden realization of how incredibly fucking stupid he was.

Hinata, beautiful, intelligent, soft, kind, overall wonderful human being, had been sitting right next to him his entire life, and it had taken some crazy fucking guy on the moon for him to realize that she was just sitting there, waiting for him to love her.

Sometimes, he would have horrible dreams, that Toneri had never tried to destroy the Earth and abduct that Hyuga girls. That he had never got to see Hinata and his intertwined pasts through the genjutsu bubbles. That he never got to realize that he loved her. Nightmares, where he was still living his normal, lonely life, or even worse, that he had settled for one to the _'Naruto-senpai!'_ girls. Those girls that screamed his name and chased him around the village, that he would end up buying ramen for just because they were around when he was offering. Those girls that had only noticed him _after_ he had acomplished great things.

Not like Hinata, who had noticed him long before that. Before he had done anything praise worthy. Honestly, when he had been the worst of little shits.

In those nightmares, he would dream that Hinata had settled for someone else, Kiba or Shino or anyone really. It didn't matter who. If she wasn't with him, it all hurt the same.

But thankfully, he did have her.

She glanced over at the door suddenly, her trained Kunoichi ears must've heard a shift in movement. Her eyes widened and she turned to face him, her lips splitting into a breathtaking smile. "Naruto-kun!"

Naruto couldn't help the dopey smile that was sure slashing his cool dude attitude to bits. He could never help himself around Hinata anyways.

With one hop, he descended the steps into Shino's new class room, landing right in front of Hinata, wrapping her up into a tight hug. "Hinata," He breathed into her hair. "I missed you."

He could feel her shoulders giggle against his chest, the books getting crushed in their embrace. "Naruto-kun," She chided through her laughs. "I saw you _last night_."

He huffed. "I _know_." He had refused to let go as she tried to lean away from him, instead opting to press himself into her neck, knowing that it tickled her. "I wanted you to stay."

"N-n-naruto-kun…" She whined. He could see the blush spreading onto her neck, probably already overtaking her face, not that he could see it. His own cheeks were still pressed against the soft skin, his head tucked under her chin. His back bending painfully, he was much taller than her.

He knew that Hinata couldn't stay over often. Her family was incredibly old fashioned, and she only managed to do it when she "alluded" that maybe, perhaps she would be on a mission. Hinata didn't like out right lying to her family. So, it didn't happen very often.

Not that Naruto minded. That much.

Soon, Hinata would be sleeping at his house every single night.

But he still liked to ask, just in case. He wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to keep Hinata with him all night.

"Hello, Naruto."

Naruto's head snapped up, finally noticing Shino, standing a few feet away, standing at his desk with a label maker.

"Oh, hi Shino." Naruto offered weakly.

He could feel Hinata shaking her head. He didn't try to ignore Shino. Honestly, he didn't. It wasn't his fault that he couldn't notice anyone after he saw Hinata's smiles.

There were footsteps outside of the classroom, quick clops, the sound of a couple people running. A head of a much younger girl, probably fifteen or sixteen popped into the door.

"Naruto-senpai!" The girl screeched. "I found him!"

No sooner had the 'Naruto-senpai' left her mouth, could he hear even more feet clunking his direction. Groaning, pulling Hinata even tighter against him, using her as his sexy human shield to block him for the incoming horde of young fan girls and the occasional boys that were his new constant. He honestly felt some real sympathy for Sasuke-bastard these days.

"Naruto-senpai!" "Naruto-senpai!" "Can you show us those moves you were doing for Iruka-sensei's class?" "I was trying to pay attention, but a one-on-one demonstration would be nice."

The horde was drowning each other out, and spilling into the class one by one like ants through a crack in the wall.

"Sorry, guys. I'm just trying to spend some time with my fiancé." Naruto hoped that would be enough to get them to go away.

He usually didn't mind the kids that looked up to him. But the teenage girls made him feel uncomfortable.

"Awwwww." The group sighed together as one, large beast.

"Oh, come on, _Naruto-senpai_." Hinata tilted her head up, mischief sparkling in her beautiful, white eyes. "I'm sure you can spare a couple minutes to help with Konoha's future Kunoichi."

He stared in shock for a moment, dumbfounded as his gorgeous, scheming girlfriend threw him under the bus. Or more like, under a dozen, buzzing, teen girls.

As much as he had hated himself for not knowing Hinata as well as he wanted to, after realizing his endless amount of love for her, it had been fun to get to know her. Which he had over the months that they had were together. Realizing that Hinata could be sneaky, playful and silly was something fun. Playing little, mostly kind, pranks on people with Hinata was adorable and hilarious. But seeing her, turn the table on _him_? He was stuck between impressed and disappointed.

And he really didn't appreciate Naruto- _senpai_ coming out of her beautiful mouth.

"Hinata-chan." He whined in her ear, with lack of any other plan out of being devoured by the mob surrounding them.

"Come on, _Naruto-senpai_." She smiled sweetly at him.

A small growl left his mouth again, nose wrinkling. He pinched her stomach lightly, making her jump against him, reminding her that he still held her against him, books still crushed in her arms. A couple of the young girls were already tossing her passive-aggressive glares. Not that they bothered him. There was no competition. Not for him. Nothing and nobody could compare to Hinata.

Naruto let his nose dip down and caress into her hair line, lips ghosting over her scalp as he spoke against her. "You owe me then, Hinata." His voiced ghosted across her.

"Oh?" She breathed, quietly.

He hummed, affirming it against her, smelling in deeply the scent of Hinata's shampoo, fabric softener from her bed, perfume, the herbal ointments she makes, and the smell that was just naturally _Hinata_. He loved it. "I think," He paused, mulling over a fitting punishment. "You owe me a sleepover."

"D-d-do I?"

He could see her ears blush hard red as she looked away from him, embarrassed. They were whispering, so Shino or the group were none the wiser, but yet, he still could send her into a stuttering mess.

He smiled in triumph.

"An, call me Naruto- _senpai_ again." He threatened.

She glanced back up at Naruto, trying to hide her smile, nose wrinkling. She knew what she was doing. Her sneaky little face was beyond adorable. Naruto could practically see her white eyes glitter with the lavender tint he noticed so often.

"Whatever do you mean, _Naruto-senp_ -"

He cut off the embarrassing suffix by smashing his lips into hers. Hard, fast and hot, open mouth kissing her in front of everyone. He knew it would embarrass her, and he couldn't help his own smirk at her dumbfounded gaze as he finally pulled away.

"See you tonight, Hina."

He winked, sauntering up to the door, hoping to get his afternoon with the younger girls over with as soon as possible. A sleep over with his girlfriend was most enough motivation to get through the hours until he saw her again. And hopefully by then she'd lose the _Naruto-senpai_ teasing.


	3. Naruto

Naruto's favorite thing about being married was the sex.

Maybe it should be something cuter. Sure, he liked getting to live with her every single night, snuggled close… after they had sex . He liked that too.

He did like living with her every single day though. He was so excited when she could finally stay with him and didn't have to go back home at night or makeup a lie to stay with him.

But he had to wait till he was married. The Hyuga were really, really old fashioned. It wasn't that big of a deal honestly, he would've married Hinata, silly 'old people rule' aside. Though it was quite a surprise when Hinata had brought it up.

He had convinced Hinata to spend the night after one of her missions, instead of going home. So at least this time she wasn't technically lying, which she didn't like to do. They just thought she had yet to return to the village.

They cooked dinner together, which was mostly Hinata directing Naruto around his own kitchen. He didn't mind. Her cooking was yummy and she was pretty when concentrating on sauces. They ate, huddled around his little coffee table in front of his super old TV that only had three channels.

And because his apartment was a tiny studio, his bed right in the corner, it wasn't even a challenge to maneuver her over to it and fuck the ever loving bajesus out of her.

He picked her up under the arms, like a toddler.

"Naruto-kun!"

"What, you can still watch on the bed." _Yeah, sure. Like that's what they'd be doing._ He smirked to himself as he tossed her onto his springy, single bed.

She giggled as Naruto flopped on top of her, pretending to fall asleep. "Naruto-kun," She squealed out giggles as she flailed under him. "You're crushing me."

"Wow, Hinata." Naruto finally lifted his head to glare lazily as his girlfriend. "Did you just call me fat?" He flopped, bouncing on her.

Air left her chest in quick, squeaky giggles. "Na-ru-to-ku-un-" She managed to get out between the giggles and bounces.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I can't hear you over the sound of you fat shaming me." He smirked, careful not to actually hurt her.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Yes, my love?" He finally stopped, nose against nose, watching her catch her breath.

She was so pretty, he thought, not for the first time. She smiled, rubbing her nose against his lightly. The simple act sent Naruto's heart slamming around his ribcage like freshly released bull. Her hands went up around his neck and slid into his hair, rubbing his scalp. He wanted to close his eyes, like Akamru and let her pet him, but he wouldn't look away. Not right now. Not when she was this beautiful.

"You're perfect Naruto-kun." She spoke, almost dismissively, as if he was being incredibly silly.

Which he was.

Her fingers still in his hair, pressing their noses together.

 _Damn, why did she have to be like that?_ Naruto floundered, almost helplessly under Hinata's gaze. _So… fucking… perfect._

"I'd still like you if you were fat." She added.

He snorted, tilting his head, breaking their nose contact to smash his mouth against hers. He moaned into the kiss immediately. Always helpless to Hinata. He never stood a chance. It wasn't even his fault. He loved her.

He reached for her shirt, peeling it upwards, and regrettably, having to break his kiss.

"Naruto-kun," She whined.

"You don't need a shirt to watch TV." He countered, keeping up the charade, but he couldn't even hear the TV anymore. Not over the blood pounding in his ears, or Hinata's giggles, her breath, hot and heavy, or his own moans.

It was only him and her now.

He really liked having sex with Hinata. Not that he had anyone else to compare it to, but he was a thousand percent sure it couldn't be better with anyone else. Nobody else made the sounds or the faces that _his_ lady made. He was sure of it. The way her arms would wrap around his neck, her legs around his waist, or, when he was going especially hard and her finger tips would press into his back. She wouldn't ever scratch him. Even in the throes of passion, she was sweet and gentle.

She felt like a dream. Looked like one too. Hinata might be short and thin but her chest was about the exact opposite.

He liked her boobs, okay? Sue him. They were big, and soft and firm at the same time, and pretty. It's not like he could survive Kakashi and Jiraiya without noticing boobs.

Almost as much as he like her chest, he liked the way she ended up moaning his name. Naruto, naturally was a much louder person than Hinata, a fact most people knew. He was more vocal during sex too. Moaning into her hair, whispering sweet nothings almost constantly.

His hands laced with hers, other holding himself up so he could ghost across her body. Her legs, up around his waist. His head buried into her hair, trying not to ground his forehead into her scalp as he rocked into her, over and over.

He grunted, "Hinata, ugh, so tight, fuck," He breathed, trying to keep the profanities to a minimum. She was a princess, his _hime_ , he couldn't just be groaning out "Fuck, shit, fuck, fucking shit Hinata, damn that's good." … whoops.

But he was waiting, listening for the telltale signs that Hinata was nearing her end. Her breath would quicken, her movements would become jerkier, her hand would tighten in his.

And finally, her head moving from side to side, eyes squeezed shut, she would breathe out a soft, " _Naruto_."

She squeezed around him tight, cumming almost silently but Naruto smiled, continuing to make love to her through her orgasm. He loved hearing that _Naruto_. The sound of a job well done, but it was still a couple more minutes until he came above her, mumbled out a bunch of unintelligible garble.

After, when she laid, snuggled against his chest, eyes closed, probably drifting off the sleep to the sound of the TV still playing, Naruto letting his fingers slide around through her slippery, silky hair.

"You should just stay with me." His mouth with muffled against the top of her head, but she heard the words, tilting up to meet his eyes.

"What?"

Naruto shrugged, trying to play it off. "Yeah. You should just stay with me. Like, all the time."

"You want me to live with you?" She asked again, in clarification.

Naruto nodded, trying to gauge her expression. But her face was blank, naked of emotion as her body was naked of clothes.

She looked at him for a long time, longer than he was expecting. Longer than felt comfortable. Then she smiled, sweetly, laying her head back down on his chest. "I can't."

Naruto jerked. "What, why? Don't you like me?"

She turned up to face him, this time scooting until they were face to face, sharing his pillow. Her hands went to reach for his, lacing them together, like that had previously, when they were intertwined together.

"I love you, silly Naruto-kun."

He could feel the smile tug at his lips. How could he ever forget that she loved him?

"Why don't you want to stay with me then? My apartment too small? My TV sucks? My bed's lumpy?"

She let out a little laugh as she leaned over to kiss him, silencing his questions. "I like your apartment. And your stuff. I just can't. My family wouldn't permit it."

Naruto didn't understand that. The fact that she would bend to every whim of the Hyuga. But she did. She listened to her family, her father, without questions.

"Why?" Naruto whined, childish but not really caring.

Hinata paused again. "It would shame the Hyuga, if I lived with someone before I was married."

 _Married_.

Him and Hinata?

Hinata would be with him all the time? She'd be his? More than just his girlfriend. More than occasional sleepovers and dates. She'd be his, with him, forever.

 _Uzumaki_ Hinata.

She'd cook for him every night. Well, only if she wanted to. She'd be there every time he got home from a mission. And he'd wait for her when she was gone on hers.

What else did married people do? Have kids?

He'd have kids? With her? _Duh, Naruto, who the hell else would they be with?_ He hoped they looked like her, silky black hair, big white eyes.

She had rolled back into his chest, and when he glanced down, she was fully asleep.

How long had he been thinking?

His mind was still reeling. Marry her? Yes, please. He'd do it right now if she wasn't dead asleep. But how could she be sleeping? She just dropped a marriage bomb on him and zonked out.

"What the fuck? Dattebayo?" He mumbled to himself, letting his fingers slip out of her hair to wrap around her.

He couldn't even sleep.

The entire night. When Hinata got up, she didn't even mention what she had said. How was this not plaguing her as well. Even though Naruto hadn't even so much as had an extended blink all night, kept up by his thoughts of his future with Hinata, she acted like nothing had happened.

She cooked breakfast, washed his dishes and left.

Pacing his apartment, pulling at his hair, groaning frustrated at himself. He had tried to calm himself down multiple times. Spending most of the day stomping around his apartment, actually talking to himself out loud until he couldn't take it anymore. She wasn't even gone for an hour and a half but he couldn't stand for this.

"Hinata!"

Yes, Naruto had sprinted straight to Hinata's compound. Yes, he had jumped the fence and landed right in the middle of what looked to be like the main house training. Hinata, dressed in a black two piece, surrounded by family members.

She turned to look at him, surprised to see him at her house. They hadn't made any plans to see each other today. She hadn't even left him two hours ago.

"I want to marry you, dattebayo!"

Every single person, anywhere remotely close to hearing distance, stopped dead in their tracks to watch this crashing train in live action.

"Naruto-kun?" She squeaked.

"I mean, it's just," He raked his scalp, trying to get his thoughts to actually form something coherent that his mouth could say. "Last night, you said it so nonchalantly. Like it was nothing."

Hinata practically blanched at Naruto ratting her out in front of no less than twenty people. Her eyes darted over to her father, standing a few paces away, looking less than displeased at the turn of events.

"Oh, shit. Sorry." Naruto bit his lip, laughing nervously. He shook his head, trying to get back on to his point. If he actually had one.

"You, you just mentioned getting married. Like, like it was nothing! But I love you. And I want to marry you. For reals, you better believe it Hinata 'ttbayo!"

Hinata was still looking at Naruto like he was crazy, and Hanabi had burst out laughing, doubling over in hysterical hyena cackles. Hiashi's face was as red as Hinata's when she was embarrassed, though it looked to be sheer furry.

Speaking of Hinata's embarrassment, there was a certain lack of it on her face. She mainly looked incredibly concerned, but was she, was she… smiling?

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, desperately.

 _Why wasn't she saying anything?_

Hinata slowly opened her arms to him, but Naruto wasn't looking for cuddles. He wanted answers. Now preferably. When he didn't budge, Hinata took a step to him instead, wrapping her arms around him. He hadn't even realized how tense he had become until he melted into her sweet hug. His shoulders finally sagging down, his fists relaxing, his jaw unclenching.

"Naruto-kun. I was just trying to explain why I couldn't move in. I wasn't trying to stress you out - like this. You don't need to do this."

His arms wrapped around her quickly. "I'm not just asking because you said it! I don't want you to leave anymore. I want you with me, all the time. I told you. I love you. Not just so you can spend the night. Though that'll definitely be nice to. I just want to marry you because I love you."

"I love you too. And I would love to marry you."

She was smiling so beautifully, happy tears leaking into her eyes as Naruto bent down to seal their deal with a kiss.

A dry, fake cough stopped him before he could.

"Traditionally, Uzumaki-san, you would ask _me_ first."

It wasn't that hard to convince Hiashi Hyuga to let him marry Hinata. Almost zero convincing, after he had promised that he loved Hinata with his whole heart, that he'd always take care of her, and an awkward apology about having Hinata spend the night at his house the night before. Mostly because he wasn't sorry. Not even a little. But he didn't mind taking the blame if Hinata didn't get in trouble.

But then Hiashi had given his permission. And Hinata agreed. And he was engaged.

She had been so pretty, the day they got married. Her hair was pulled back and curled, and she wore makeup. She definitely didn't need makeup to make her pretty! He thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen when she was fresh faced and most authentically herself. But painted up Hinata was something he hadn't ever seen before, her pouty lips painted cherry red, and if he hadn't wanted to kiss them off her face before, only Hiashi Hyuga's presence now was stopping him. Her eyelashes had been painted a faux, goopy black, and he didn't feel any which way about that. Her eyes were already beautiful, exotic, she didn't need anything to accentuate them. Hinata's face had also been powdered white, but not even that could block out the rosiness of her cheeks as she looked up at him.

Naruto, dressed in a stifling hakama, and feeling self-conscious about the forming crowd had his eyes trained on the window below. He was trying to talk his nerves down. _It's gonna be so easy, dattebeyo! Just a couple sips of sake, read some stuff on the paper and bing-bang-boom Hina-hime and I are married._ Easy enough.

He tilted back and forth on his feet, stretching out his hands from the nervous fists they kept balling into.

Taking a deep swallow and almost nodding to himself. He was Naruto Freaking Uzumaki! He never gave up! He was going to be Hokage! He had saved the village more than once! He saved his best friend and restored him, brought him back to village! He found the one girl the whole world that would appreciate him for just being him! And he was going to marry her!

He nodded along with his inner monologue. Pumping himself up.

The itching feeling of being watched had tickled his jaw and had his eyes meeting back with his fiancé's.

Soon to be wife.

Her soft, small hand slid into his own, intertwining their fingers together. His bandaged one, the one that was technically fake, but he felt her smooth skin just as easy as if she had grabbed his real one. She never shied away from his fake one.

The one the Sasuke-teme has ripped off like an ass.

But Sasuke wasn't here. 

Hinata was. Looking up to him with cherry red, kissable lips, blushing cheeks and her eyes wider than he'd ever seen them. The whiteness of her silk kimono only seemed to extenuate how not white her eyes were. Sometimes, depending on the lighting, they go could go either way, at least to Naruto's unsophisticated eyes. Sometimes, he looked at her and her eyes were white, white as paper. Other times, he was sure her eyes could never be white, and they were as purple as her mission top. But most of the time, they were pale, showing hints of lavender in the shadows of her gaze.

Right now, the sun glaring off the window, making them look like wet pearls.

It startled Naruto for a moment, realizing that Hinata looked nervous. Unsure.

He squeezed her hand in his, giving her a smile. His heart continued beating normally after she returned his smile. Everything was right in the world.

They couldn't afford a honeymoon, at least not right then. So, after the massive wedding, they went back to Naruto's apartment.

 _Their_ apartment.

Hiashi looked like he'd rather burn his apartment down than let Hinata stay in it, and the way Hanabi was looking around, wide, horrified eyes almost made Naruto cave.

He couldn't force Hinata to live in a place that her family looked at like that. What had he even been thinking. Hinata was a goddess, or at minimum, his princess. She deserved that massive Hyuga house that his new in-laws were trying to shove down his throat. Hinata deserved everything.

"Otou-san, this is important to Naruto-kun. Which makes it important to me." He heard Hinata mutter as he balanced a box of her things on her hip.

He hadn't heard what Hiashi had said or asked her, but he was sure that he was still pressing the housing issue.

Even though Hinata would not lead the Hyuga, that had insisted that she had a place their, with them. Generously allowing Naruto to live there as well.

Naruto couldn't accept. He had worked hard, blood sweat and tears to earn anything he had ever gotten. He wouldn't be accepting any handouts. Even from his new family.

Hearing Hinata's reply made his heart soar.

It wasn't long after the Hyugas made their leave. Hiashi, Hanabi, Ko, and Natsu, who had helped Hinata bring the scant few things she decided she couldn't part with, all bid him farewell and gave Hinata long hugs, Natsu leaving some dinner for them in containers on the counter.

Hinata got back to her couple of boxes, fully ready to finish putting her things away. Mixing them with his. Becoming _their_ things.

But that could wait.

"Oh no! Hinata come here!" Naruto screamed quickly, staring down at his bed.

Hinata jumped up quickly, and the level of concern on her face almost made him feel guilty.

Almost.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking from the single, sloppily made bed, to Naruto's distraught face.

Hinata was a fast Kunoichi. Faster than any of the other's Naruto knew. Hyuga were known for their speed and precision. But Naruto was faster. As gently as one could, Naruto swepted her feet, hands coming up around her arms to guide her fall onto the bed as softly as he could.

She was on her back, starting up at him in less than a fraction of a second. Her face hadn't even registered it yet. He didn't hold it against her. There was only a handful of people in the world that could keep up with that level of speed. It didn't make Hinata any less impressive.

Yes, he found his wife impressive.

Especially reclining back on his bed, in nothing but a white tank top and joggers, her breast straining the thin fabric. The lounge clothes she had changed into after taking off the massive silk kimono she had been wearing. She had washed the makeup off her face but her lips were still as kissable as ever, even pale pink. Her hair was in a ponytail, pieces still curled beautiful, coming down over her shoulders.

Finally, Hinata was his. Not just his girlfriend. His wife. She was really his and she would never leave him. He wouldn't ever be alone again. But more importantly, not only would be not be alone. But with _her_.

"My sexy wife is in my bed!" He screamed. "I'm pretty sure she wants me to have SEX with her!"

Hinata, finally realizing that Naruto had duped her, started giggling, her cheeks tinging pink. "Naruto-kun," She scolded in sweetness. "I need to put my stuff away."

Sighing, "Hinata, Hinata, Hinata, Hinata, Hinata." Naruto shook his head, _tsk_ ing as if she had done something quite wrong. He climbed on top, hovering over her, not being able to hold down his smile. "Why would my wife be in my bed if she didn't want me to have sex with her? Huh?"

She laughed at the absurdity of his questions and he didn't wait for her to stop when he kissed her.

Kissing turned heavy quickly, and before he knew it, _Hinata_ was pulling his shirt up. He smiled in victory. Two could play at that game.

It didn't take but a couple of seconds to rip her clothes off, discarding them on the floor, to be forgotten until long after he was finished with her. He had one thing on his mind and one thing only. To make Hinata moan his name.

Hinata, who addressed everyone with the proper suffix. Never messing up, at least not where Naruto had heard. To this day Kurenai was still revered with _sensei_ , and she had never forgotten that Kakashi was Hokage-sama, not like Naruto did. And now, even being her husband, he was still Naruto- _kun_.

But not while he was fucking her. No, as she came around him, she'd cry his name without it. Now, he loved when his new wife called him Naruto-kun. He really did. She was adorable and he liked hearing her say his name, even in mundane conversation. But, just the fact that he could loud her mind to the extent of leaving off the whole honorific.

He felt accomplished.

Missionary was his favorite position. Not that they didn't do other ones. They were adventurous. Hinata was surprisingly down for anything Naruto suggested. But he loved watching her while they did it. Looking down at her face, scrunching tight as she fought to stay silent. He didn't know why she did that, tired so hard not to make a sound. Naruto was the exact opposite, grunting, groaning, moaning, purring anything and everything that came to mind in her ear, egging her on the best he could. It only made it all the more satisfying when she couldn't though.

Her breath caught in her throat and he knew it was coming.

"Come on," He whispered, coaching her, his lips dipping closer to her mouth but unwilling to kiss her lips. He'd never silence that sound.

She gasped again as he kissed her jaw. She let out a cry as he continued which was sexy and satisfying but not what he was going for. Continuing his stroking, his lips kissing up her jaw and around the shell of her ear. She was panting, squiring, her fingers tightening around his flexing biceps.

Her head pressed back into the pillows as she gasped, strangled. "Na-na- _Naruto_!"

He smiled. _Yes_. That's what he had been working for. They finished together.


	4. Terrible, Awful Man

Pregnant Hinata wasn't as bad as he was expecting.

Shikamaru had literal horror stories about Temari's mood swings that he would randomly divulge at work. At first, Naruto thought they were hilarious. Shikamaru getting chased around with a kitchen ladle or having his cigarettes burned or random threats that she would move her ass back to Suna if his wife heard him even think the word 'mendokuse'. Naruto would laugh and go about his work, finding immense joy in his buddy's misfortunes.

Never once did Naruto think Hinata would be like that.

She just wasn't like that. She was sweet, snuggly. The best wife Naruto could have ever hoped for himself. Never could he ever imagine her threatening him with kitchen utensils or leaving him.

No, Naruto could laugh and smile contently at Shikamaru's stories with complete certainty that he would never end up like that.

When Hinata found out they were pregnant, Naruto was ecstatic. He may or may not have been a little over emotional but that was neither here nor there.

He was split between the sudden realization that he was going to be somebody's _dad_ , and drowning in abstract thought. The baby wasn't there yet. He wasn't a dad yet. He had time. Plus, Hinata didn't even look pregnant. Or act like it (if Temari Nara was the bar set for how pregnant women were supposed to act, that is).

It was hard to mentally prepare for. Naruto wasn't that big on preparation anyways. He preferred jumping head on into new challenges.

Snuggling Hinata in their new bed that he had eventually caved and bought that was much bigger than the single they were sharing. Even though there was some room between Hinata and the wall that she could've used to spread out, she had pressed her body, firmly against Naruto's chest. Sometimes she would take his hand and place it, palm down on her srill flat stomach.

"Are you sure your pregnant?" Naruto would ask, dubiously.

She nodded, head rubbing up under his chin. "Yes, Naruto-kun." He had asked before.

"I know. But," He pressed his hand further onto her stomach, feeling the flatness, the dip of her belly button. "It doesn't feel like it."

He could hear her smile. "Naruto-kun," She giggled. "The baby is little."

Naruto pursed his lips.

"The midwife said that the baby sits really low too." She continued, rubbing soft, swirly circles on the top of his hand, up his forearm.

He loved when she did that. Sometimes, when they were sitting, watching TV or lying in bed together, like just then, she would do that to his skin. Her finger tips would ghost across him, lazily writing her love for him in invisible ink. Sometimes, when she was zoning out, and she wasn't, Naruto would none too subtly grab her hand and start doing it for her. She would just smile, maybe giggle a little and start.

"And she said, because it was our first baby, that I might not show for a while."

"Who said that?" Naruto asked, distractedly letting his wife run her hands down his arm. He flexed, showing off for his lady.

In the dark. Where she couldn't see it.

"The midwife, Naruto-kun." She reminded him, easily.

"Oh, yeah."

Midwives. Naruto had no clue what the hell those things were until Hinata got pregnant.

He would've been much more comfortable with someone like Tsunade, the greatest medic ninja in their whole country, if not arguably their whole world, delivering his baby, taking care of his wife. But she was gone, off doing who the hell knew what. He would even settle for Sakura, who had laughed in his face when he brought it up to her, explaining how delivering babies was different than being a field medic, and then going off on a rant about how he never paid attention or appreciated her skill. It had been a headache and a half.

But apparently midwives were a largely accepted form of childbirth in Konoha. Hinata was opting to use one from the Hyuga compound, the same one that delivered her. She was old as fuck and cranky to match and Naruto had been secretly grateful that almost all of Hinata's check-ups happened while he was at work.

A mischievous smile curled his lips. "Hey, I think I did feel something."

Hinata startled in his arms. "What?"

"Mmmhmmm." He hummed, his hand drifting up her flat, soft stomach. "But not right here."

His hands were rougher than hers. He was sure that his hands didn't feel as good as hers. Nobodies did. But he liked the feel of her skin under him. He felt the contour of her ribs, until her cupped one of her full breasts.

"Naruto-kun!" She squeaked.

"Here, definitely right here is where I'm feeling it."

She squealed giggles into their dark, tiny apartment as he kissed down her neck, his night becoming a thousand times better.

It was a long time before Hinata's stomach showed, but when she did, boy did she pop. Hinata was small, that he had noticed long before she had gotten pregnant. But the baby was not, apparently. Her stomach came out further than Ino, Temari, Karui, even Sakura. His poor wife's back bowed and bent and she waddled around, hips being pushed out too far to walk straight.

She never and so much as even groaned when she sat up. A smile on her bright beautiful face. She was the only woman he saw that actually had the pregnancy glow about her.

But the bigger she got, the more nervous Naruto got in relation. He felt extreme guilt in going to work and leaving her home alone, her having to retire already. He felt guilt every time she went to the market by herself, him imagining her lugging those groceries home all by herself. He felt guilty every time she cooked for her, standing at the hot stove, her back bending under the weight of their unborn child.

He felt continuing helplessness, watching Hinata create their baby all on her own.

He couldn't carry it for her. He could only watch her and try and help where he could. He snuggled her at night, shoving pillows in every nook and cranny. He even decided to make a point of coming to her appointments with her and her scary, angry mid-wife. He tried to rub her swollen feet and ankles when she'd let him, which wasn't that often because he had a bad habit of tickling her on purpose to poking her swelling flesh and likening it to raising dough. He held her in the shower because his tiny bathroom didn't have a bath for her to lay and soak in.

His apartment was also plaguing him ten-fold. Not only was he forcing Hinata to reside in his tiny shit hole, but Hinata was making her own mini-Hinata that he was also supposed to take care of, and he had absolutely no idea how to go about doing that.

He couldn't even take care of Hinata the way he was supposed to.

Hinata, being the wonderful, loving, amazing woman she was, seemed to always notice when his thoughts would get that dark. She'd lean over, rubbing her fingers across his whiskered cheeks.

"You're thinking pretty hard." She'd comment, softly over the news playing in the background.

She'd never tell him to stop, or to smile. Never patronizing. Just commenting in a way that allowed Naruto to know that she knew. That she understood. That she was there.

He mustered up his best smile for her. "Shocking, right?"

She wrinkled her nose at his disparaging comment and clipped her chopsticks at him. Hinata already reminded him of a mother.

Naruto wasn't anything close to a father.

So as the time drew nearer, Naruto was practically shitting his pants. In the middle of the night, at the end of March, when Hinata gasped, pressing her hands into her massively protruding stomach, Naruto's heart dropped.

"Hina?" He was awake in a fraction of a second, sobering ice water being splashed into his veins.

He had curled away from him, closer to the wall, hunched over her belly, not responding.

"Hime?"

He grabbed her shoulder, trying to tilt her head so he could at least asses what was wrong with her. Because he was still utterly useless when it came to doing anything for her anymore. Or the baby.

"It's okay, Naruto-kun." She tried to shrug him off as gentle as possible. "It's just a contraction. It surprised me." She turned, looking over her shoulder, her hair dangling down, catching the moonlight through his little bitty window.

He started sputtering intelligibly. "Wha- bu – _Hinata_! Doesn't that mean that the baby's coming?"

He had been paying attention when the midwife came. Enough for that at least.

"It was just one, Naruto-kun. You don't need to worry. Sakura gets them every now and then." She spoke simply, snuggling back down onto the bed, moving around on the mound of pillows Naruto had tucked her into when they had gone to bed.

But there was no way Naruto could sleep now.

He leaned over her, not wanting to break eye contact. "Hinata, but you're way further along than Sakura. You're overdue. The midwife said! What if you're having the baby right now?"

She smiled sweetly, reaching up and lightly tugging at his necklace. "I'm not having the baby _right now_. Go to sleep. You have work in the morning."

Naruto could most certainly not go to sleep. "But, _Hime_ ," He let her guide him down, but he wouldn't lay down next to her. Instead, her curved over her, searching her face. It was un worried, sleepy, blinking at him lazily. Effortlessly beautiful. Not like the turmoil that was rolling around inside of him. "Maybe I should stay home."

He didn't want to leave her alone. Sure, he was of absolutely no help to her. That didn't mean he couldn't try.

She shook her head. Work was important to him. He was working with Kakashi, moving closer to becoming the next Hokage. He was saving up for the home he so desperately wanted to buy her. She wouldn't keep him from that unnecessarily.

"It's just one contraction, Naruto-kun. The baby isn't just going to randomly show up. It takes time. You don't need to stay with me when we probably won't even have the baby today."

Letting out a small, childish huff, Naruto finally let himself snuggle back into her.

"Hey, know what the midwife said would help speed the process up?" He leered into her hear.

Apparently, the midwife had a wealth of knowledge that Naruto had truly come to appreciate. Namely her approval and suggestion of starting Hinata's labor, which involved him sleeping with his gorgeous wife and playing with her boobs as much as he wanted.

"It's the middle of the night, Naruto-kun."

Naruto groaned his displeasure into her hair. The midwife had also informed him that after Hinata delivered, they couldn't have sex with her for six weeks. Six! That was almost two freaking months.

He liked the midwife a lot more when she was pressuring him with 'nipple stimulation'.

Hinata giggled her apology as she herself, drifted back to sleep. Naruto tucked her back into her pile of pillow, pulling up the sheets and blankets, careful not to tuck those in. Her pregnant body was plagued with hot flashes. Then, as carefully as he could, not wanting to disturb her, he wrapped himself up, tight around her, coiled like a snake. He tucked his forehead against her temple, his nose, feather lightly nudging her cheek, watching her breath as she dreamed.

 _Fuck_ , he really did love her. And _fuck_ , if he was absolutely not ready for her to have his child.

He knew the baby was going to be perfect. Just like her. He wasn't ready for that much more responsibility. He didn't have that much more love in him. He didn't know what he was doing. Nobody had shown him how to be a father.

He was scared.

Naruto never fell asleep that night. He watched Hinata wake up, early morning, when it was still dark out, just to make him breakfast, pack his lunch and send him off. He told her, each and every morning that she didn't have to. He was a big boy, he had spent his life waking up alone, making his own breakfast, his own lunch. He wouldn't be offended if his very pregnant wife got some much-needed sleep.

But she just smiled, wrinkling her nose, and shook her head a little, going back about her business. It was the Hinata equivalent of rolling her eyes at him. He could see her though, flinching lightly serving miso, holding her stomach as the rice cooked. She was in pain.

"I'm just going to stay."

She looked over at him, watching her, knees tucked under his little table. Balancing plates and bowls on a tray, she brought them over to him, not sitting across from him but sitting so close to his that she was practically sitting in his lap.

"Sakura-chan is going to come over later for lunch. I won't be alone." She promised.

His shoulders sagged as he held her close to his chest.

Work was nearly impossible. Shikamaru, who had just come back from his own time off after having his kid, a boy, filled Naruto's head, yet again, with horrific stories of Temari's birth. He couldn't will the clock to go any faster.

But apparently, it wasn't fast enough.

There was half a dozen Hyuga women in his rinky dink apartment by the time he had got home. Plus Sakura. And Hinata was wearing one of his black T-shirts, the hem coming down right under her butt. She wasn't wearing pants. That wasn't the weirdest part.

The midwife had her arms on her shoulders, swaying her back and forth, breathing weird.

"Uh, hi." Naruto stood in the doorway, wondering what classification of asshole he would be if he just booked it straight out of there.

Hinata didn't even glance over.

"Uzumaki-san." One of the Hyuga acknowledged.

Heading over to the only women he was expecting to see, she barley glanced at him, continuing back and forth swaying.

He leaned in for a kiss.

She leaned away, screwing her face up. "You smell weird." She whimpered.

"What? Smell like what?" He glanced around self-consciously at the other women in his house. The Hyuga ignored him like usual but Sakura snorted.

"You smell like your work." She groaned like he had committed so terrible act. "It's weird." She pushed him away, insisting.

"Go take a shower, block head." Sakura laughed, pushing him towards the bathroom.

He felt off kilter, not from Sakura's push, but from the whole situation. Hinata was having the baby? She pushed away from his hug? His work smelled weird? Did she always hate the smell of his work? Why were there so many old ladies in his house? Six seemed excessive.

One of them handed him a towel. He had to push past three Hyuga to get into his closet for a pair of sweatpants and boxers he could wear after. He took his shower as quickly as possible, not wanting to just soak in the water while Hinata was doing all the work.

But not even a minute of getting redresses, was he getting pressured to get back in.

"You should get back into the shower with Hinata-san." The midwife prompted.

Shower's with Hinata were sexy as fuck. Showers with angry, crying Hinata with a bunch of strange women in his house sounded a whole lot less sexy. A ton of less sexy.

"Just put your boxers on and hop back in." Sakura rolled her eyes.

One of the Hyuga Aunties grabbed the bottom of Hinata's shirt and lifted it up, undressing her like a toddler.

What kind of fucked up parallel universe had he landed himself in?

But, deciding not to argue, he turned the shower back on. The midwife stood in the bathroom with them, watching Hinata like a hawk. Two others accompanied her, randomly giving Hinata positive affirmations.

"Can I sit down?" Hinata whimpered.

"Sure." Naruto replied easily.

"No." The midwife snapped. "You need to keep swaying, Hinata-sama."

She frowned, wrapping her arms around herself, leaning her forehead down onto Naruto's chest, letting the water beat down her back. Naruto, was only getting the spray that bounce off her, basically just misting him, making him damp and a little cold. He brought his arms up to hold her but she shook him off immediately.

"Sorry." He muttered quickly.

That basically how the rest of the night went.

As the hours went on, Hinata only got worse and worse. She was in a new shirt, white this time. She had gotten in and out of the shower on three different occasions, the Hyuga deeming them dirty, adding it to the ever-growing stack of dirty clothes. Now consisted of his apparently vile smelling work clothes, Hinata's (Naruto's) shirts, towels, blankets.

Naruto tried to be supportive. He really did. But apparently, he was standing too close or just… being a live?

"Go! a-WAY!" Hinata's face was scrunched up tight, eyebrows pulled, nose wrinkled, lips pursed.

He wasn't sure how she was supposed to be doing the 'he-he-hooo' breathing that the midwife was coaching her on while she was screaming at him.

Sakura tried to intervene at some point. "She's in real pain Naruto. It's not a joke or some exaggeration. It's real, and excruciating."

"I'm not saying that it isn't!" Naruto snapped out, huffing into his misplaced anger. "I know she is. I can see it. I can feel it. I just want to help her!"

But he couldn't. He listened to the catches of her voice as waves of pain smacked down. Her cries, and gasps. Naruto had never seen Hinata cry, not since Neji had died. She was crying now. Sobbing. Holding her stomach, biting her lip.

"I want to lay down." She whimpered.

The midwife refused. "You need to keep swaying, Hinata-sama."

It wasn't until Hinata was dripping actual blood on the tile floors and screaming out in pain did they finally let her lay down.

Sakura took one hand, he took the other. It was time. The big finale. The baby was almost here and the whole ordeal was almost over.

Naruto was pumped. "Okay, Hinata! You've got this, dattebayo! Just a couple of-"

"Shut up!"

He faltered. "What?" He had not been expecting that."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut! Up! I hate you. You did this. It's your fault. Everything in the world is your fault. You're an _awful_ , _terrible_ _man_!" She shrieked into his face.

Hinata didn't yell. Not at him. Not at anyone, but especially not at him. She loved him. She was sweet and nice and – and –

 _An awful, terrible man?_

Nobody else in the room had even seemed phased by it. Not even Sakura.

The midwife had sat down between Hinata's legs, like it was totally normal for her to just be eye to eye with Hinata's vagina.

His hand was still in hers, locking him down into place. Even though he was apparently the root of all evil in the world, Hinata wasn't allowing to even move a centimeter.

It did only take a couple minutes of pushing. Hinata had been a fucking champ. He came out not even a couple seconds after the midwife let out some weird bullshit about his head _crowning_? Even though his wife hated him and he was unsure where he now stood in their relationship, he was proud as fuck. Yes, his wife was a damn champ.

When they lifted up the baby, covered in some of the weirdest shit Naruto had ever seen, he didn't know what to think. Hinata started gushing immediately, Sakura joining in.

"A boy, Hinata-sama."

A boy. A son. His son. He thought, just for a moment, in his frazzled, distracted mind, and let's be honest he wasn't that smart even under the best of circumstances, but he thought the baby had red hair. Like his mother. But the midwife had wrapped his son into blankets, swaddles, wiping off his face and head before laying him on Hinata's chest. On his previously white shirt.

His beautiful wife, who was still panting, tears streaming down her face, blood gushing from between her legs.

Blonde. His baby was blonde. Like his father. Like him.

"Baby Boruto, huh?" Sakura punched him, remembering the name that they had chosen together for a boy.

Naruto didn't even look over at her.

Hinata's fingers shook as she lifted them to her new, red, wrinkly baby's cheeks. "Boruto-kun." She affirmed with a quiet breath. Just like that, as if hearing his mother call to him, he opened his eyes, big, and blue, staring into Hinata's face.

Naruto didn't even notice the people leaving after that. Sure, in the back of his mind he could hear them making sure Boruto was fine. Making sure Hinata was fine and that she didn't bleed out a die. Naruto hadn't been aware that could even happen. After a while, they left, and then Hiashi and Hanabi showed, up, appraised his baby, approved and made their leave, Natsu, taking their laundry and leaving food on the counter.

"I think I might go get Sasuke. I don't want to be alone when the baby comes." Sakura made easy conversation with Hinata.

She was the last left. She had been there with his wife the entire time. He was forever grateful for that.

But, Naruto wasn't quite sure if leaving the village to hunt down Sasuke was the smartest thing to do when you were almost nine months pregnant, not that he was in the position to tell Sakura what to do. He decided not to comment.

Hinata nodded sympathetically. "I don't know what I would've done without Naruto-kun." 

Her eyes met his and she smiled at him warmly.

Naruto couldn't even move, afraid to break this spell and send her reeling back into the woman that hated him. Instead of that happening though, she went back to brushing her fingers through Boruto's fluffy hair.

"Oh!" She gasped.

 _Fuck. There it was. She remembered she hated me_. Naruto closed and eye and flinched away. _Terrible, awful man_ playing a terrifying loop in his mind. But, Hinata's wide, beautiful white eyes rounded on him, this time she looked sweet and innocent and if not utterly exhausted, but she was _his_ Hinata again.

Her mouth was open in her gasp of astonishment. "Naruto-kun,"

He raised an eyebrow, still afraid to talk.

"You haven't held him yet."

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, shifting on his feet. "Oh, I don't know, Hina,"

"Sit."

Her simple command shut him up, quick. He had still not forgotten how angry she could get.

"Here," She smiled, lifting Boruto up.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, _Hina_." Naruto panicked, arms coming up to catch his incoming son and his body leaning way, hoping Hinata changed her mind.

Softy, she laid the baby, wrapped tight in a blanket, in the crook of his good arm. "There, your baby, Naruto-kun."

Not breathing, staring down at the most perfect face of his beautiful son. No, Boruto didn't look like Hinata. But he was perfect. Hinata herself, leaned her head over his shoulder, looking down at their son together. He didn't even register Sakura excusing herself from the apartment. It was quiet for a long time, holding his son, his wife.

"I love you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's heart clenched, tears stinging the corner of his eyes.


	5. Papa

Naruto had been right, Hinata was an amazing mom right away. She knew all the reasons Boruto cried, long before Naruto could figure them out.

She knew immediately when he was hungry, and she had basically mastered nursing after just a handful of tries. Which apparently was pretty hard (Naruto was only going off of what the midwife and Sakura told he, he had no fucking clue). It was almost like babies didn't even want to nurse! Boruto fussed, head rooting around, trying to find her nipple to latch to, but his eyes close, faced scrunched, lazily crying. The midwife had told her to express a tiny bit of milk and put it on his lips to make his mouth open wider and then she was like supposed to just smash her boob in. Right? Something like that.

Naruto also thought this was ludicrous. Why did it take so much convincing to get baby Boruto to nurse?

"Are you sure he's a boy?" Naruto asked, right before her and Boruto had really got it, the baby still fussing round, bobbing his head up and down on her chest, smashing his face anywhere he thought her nipple might be.

Her attention left Boruto momentarily, looking at Naruto with confusion. "Naruto-kun, you've changed his diapers." She reminded him gently.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just saying, nobody had to convince me this hard to do _that_."

Her face was bright red instantly, embarrassed in front of absolutely no one. Just him and Hinata, and he guessed, Boruto now. In his little studio apartment. Nothing but a sink, a stove, a little box TV, a coffee table and now a queen size bed. Him and his little family in his little house. He was still meticulously saving. His family deserved the best, and right now, he wasn't giving it to them.

As much as he wanted to. As much as he loved them.

He cuddled up close to Hinata on their bed, his arm wrapping around her, leaning his head on her shoulder, watching her try and latch their son with seemingly endless patience.

"Babies aren't born knowing how to nurse. We have to teach them." Her cheeks were still flushed pink.

He blew a raspberry. He had probably never nursed once in his life. Only bottles from whoever Lord Third paid to feed him. But he was an expert, if he did say so himself. Hinata seemed like it too, at least, before Boruto came and stole her boobs from him. Now they were strictly off limits.

"Maybe Boruto needs a demonstration. I'm great at that. Teaching by example and all."

"Silly _Papa_." Hinata bent down, rubbing her nose on Boruto's whiskered cheek.

 _Papa_.

Naruto never thought in a million years that anyone would call him Papa.

The first time Hinata did it, was when he got home from work, his first day back after Hinata had the baby. He had stepped through the doors, announcing his arrival, bending down to take off his boots.

"Look, Boruto-kun. _Papa_ 's home." He had almost fell right over.

Him? A Papa?

Hinata definitely didn't call her own grumpy ass dad 'Papa', that was for sure. No, _Papa_ was just for him.

He hoped he was a good one.

Watching Hinata try and reposition the little blonde boy for the umpteenth time, Naruto flopped back onto the bed, bouncing for a moment.

"Maybe he's gay."

"Naruto-kun, he's a baby."

Boruto did get the hang of it. Hinata's life suddenly just becoming a nursing machine, and trying to cram in everything else in between sessions. Cooking, cleaning, sleeping, taking a shower, eating, everything had to be side lined for when Boruto needed to nurse.

But that wasn't the only thing she had to pause for. Diapers, stomach aches, burping, when he got over tired and just cried instead of going to sleep. Which Naruto also didn't understand. _If the baby was tired, why did he just close his eyes and go to sleep?_ It was so easy.

He was starting to feel worse and worse about going to work. Every time Naruto came home, she would smile sweetly at him, welcome him home, looking more and more tired every day. She was always doing something. Folding laundry, cooking him food, cleaning the apartment, bathing Boruto. He could see the bags forming under her eyes, not being hidden by her nice smiles. Boruto woke up, all through the night demanding her attention, and she tried to fit in all her wifely "duties" around his day time feedings.

One evening when he had arrived home, when Boruto was just a couple weeks old, he could tell that Hinata couldn't keep it up. Not that she was letting him onto that.

He had opened the door, Hinata was slumped over on their little coffee table, eyes closed, obviously having fallen asleep. She was surrounded by a load of laundry, half folded. A couple of grocery items had been left out on the counter, like she had started preparing for dinner but gotten sidetracked. He tried to shut the door quietly, but as soon as it clicked shut, her head popped up, looking around confused, delirious.

"Oh, Naruto-kun, welcome home." She brushed the bangs from her eyes, blinking a couple times, trying to reintroduce herself to her surroundings. "Oh no, I'm so sorry Naruto-kun."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders, waving her off. Hinata had a bad habit, Naruto assumed came from how she was raised, putting too much pressure on herself _. A pile of clothes didn't hurt nobody_. He had lived in far worse conditions, and his apartment was a far cry cleaner, warmer and overall better with her in it.

"Is this the stuff you want cooked for dinner?" He asked, stepping over to the little kitchen area. "I can do it."

Hinata shook her head. "Your probably tired from work, Naruto-kun. You should just sit down. Besides, I think I got that out for lunch and forgot about it." She ended, sheepishly looking down at the floor.

Naruto frowned, looking at the food. Hinata hadn't eaten any of the breakfast she had made either. Boruto needed to eat, so she hadn't eaten with him before he left. Now, he was unsure if she had eaten at all.

Hinata stood up, with a pile of towels she had folded from the bathroom, but Naruto watched, dismayed as she swayed lightly on her feet. Since Naruto was still a dope ass ninja, he had his hand wrapped around her waist, leaning her into his chest in a fraction of a second.

"I'm fine, Naruto-kun. I just hope the foods not ruined." She continued to clutch the towels, ignoring Naruto's pointed concerning face.

"It's fine." He said quickly. He had eaten for more questionable things than room temperature eggs.

She turned Naruto's mini "rescue" into a little side hug, and continued on into the bathroom. Naruto's frown only deepened. She was wearing the same clothes she had on yesterday, one of his shirts and a pair of shorts, that were now stained with leaking breast milk and spit up. She smelled vaguely sour, curdled and her hair was ratted and matted in the back. She looked like a mess.

Naruto glanced over at the bed where the cause of said mess was sleeping, wrapped up tight in a swaddle. He could never get it as tight as Hinata did.

"When was the last time Boruto ate?"

Hinata's eyes widened, snapping to the clock on the wall, and visibly relaxed after checking. Missing a feeding or ruining Boruto's schedule had now become Hinata's worst fear.

"Twenty minutes ago."

 _She had barely fallen asleep._ Naruto frowned. There was still an hour and forty minutes until Boruto had to eat again.

"Hey, Hina, you should just lay down."

Her head poked out of the bathroom. "What? No, I'm fine. I need to make dinner."

Naruto caught her elbow. "I'm not hungry yet." He slowly, started tugging her closer to the bed.

She took a couple steps with him, confused, until she caught on. Digging her heels into the ground, leaning away from him. "Naruto-kun, I need to do that laundry and the-"

" _Hina_ ," He cut her off. "You're tired. You need a nap. So, take one."

"What about the-

"What about _nothing_."

He picked her up, under the legs and took the few steps over to their bed. With more care than he did most things, he laid her on the bed, on the other side of their sleeping son. He tucked the blankets up under her chin, and pushed them down tight on each side of her body. She smiled at her husband's silliness but her eyes drooped quickly.

 _She was so tired._ Naruto scrunched his face up guiltily, watching her fall asleep within seconds. He didn't have much time to dwell on her dark eye bags and frazzled hair.

Quickly he put some rice in the cooker. He had definitely lied, he was just lucky that his stomach hadn't growled when they had mentioned dinner. But he was always hungry, nothing new about that. He left the eggs out. Hinata was an exceptional cook, but he would only count himself a hair higher than Sakura in the cooking department. He could fry eggs though. Hinata had demonstrated that enough. Plus, it was hard to mess up.

Quickly he tried to fold the rest of the pile of clean clothes. His folding was messy and lumpy compared to Hinata's. But he wanted to get it put away before Hinata could protest.

Naruto frowned again, thinking about Hinata. She really needed to relax more. She had a tendency to work too hard, push too hard, not make time for herself.

A little squeak brought him out of his brooding.

Boruto was rustling around next to Hinata, his little limbs trying to free themselves. Naruto shoved the rest of their clothes in the top drawer, not giving them a second thought, and quickly scooped up his little baby son.

It was like looking in mirror. But if that mirror was a baby. Naruto snorted at himself.

The truth was, Boruto bore a striking resemblance to himself. The yellow hair, blue eyes, even the whisker marks. Boruto looked like a little mini-me. There was some kind of ancient, primal part of Naruto, as a man, that was proud that his son looked just like him. _His son._

But there was another part that had a twinge of disappointment.

Hinata was the most beautiful person that Naruto had ever seen in his life. Most beautiful. Most sweet. Nice. Best overall.

There didn't look to be a trace of Hinata in him at all.

He held his son a little while longer, perched on the edge of them bed. It was rare that he held his son alone, like this. Quality time. It was nice.

Until Boruto started fussing. It wasn't time to wake Hinata yet for feeding. So, Naruto ran down the check list. He bounced him, as softly as possible in his lap. He had been more than puzzled when Hinata informed him that babies got bored. Their lives were so easy, how could they possibly be so high maintenance. But never the less, Naruto obliged.

It didn't work.

Back pats/burping in case of a stomach ache was next but just the same amount of ineffective.

He started rocking him back and forth and humming and off-key tune. Hinata's humming was always soft and relaxing. Naruto's were… not.

Boruto squawked.

"What's wrong Boruto?" He whispered, desperately into the void. Sure, Hinata said talking to him made him smart, but Naruto was just genuinely at a loss.

"He needs his diaper changed." Hinata muttered, eyes still closed, head flat on the pillow.

She knew, yet again. He had been so sure she was a sleep. Naruto leaned over to inspect her face. Byakugan perhaps?

"Naruto-kun?" She questioned, eyes still closed.

 _Damn_ , she was impressive.

Hinata had been right, as usual. Naruto changed his son and played with him on the bed until Hinata's short respite was over. She thanked him profusely after she awoke from her nap, though Naruto wasn't sure how restful that short of a sleep could really be. She thanked him again more than once for frying them eggs for dinner, though he might've put too much furikake on her rice but she didn't mention it. After Boruto ate, then she ate, he practically forced her into the shower and new pajamas.

It was more unsettling that anything that she just seemed to be so grateful for help with such basic things. How had he not noticed that she needed it sooner?

They went to bed earlier than normal. He was sure his wife needed it, and he didn't want to run the risk of keeping her or Boruto awake for no reason.

Plus, it's not like he minded the cuddling.

His hands started to trail on her stomach before Hinata snatched his wrist. Her tummy was strictly off limits now, much to his immense disappointment.

"We can't right now Naruto-kun." She spoke gently.

"Come on, Hina." He tried to press, snuggling into her shoulder. "You're pretty, and now you smell nice."

She giggled, still moving away from him and closer to Baby Boruto Burrito.

"Let me love you, woman!"

Boruto startled, scrunching up his face in displeasure, letting out a squawk..

"Shhhhh, _Papa_." Hinata whispered, wrapping her arms around Boruto, snuggling him to her chest.

The baby quieted instantly, and softly fell back into sleep. After watching his baby settle, and Hinata closing her tired eyes, Naruto scooted further down onto the bed. He rested his head against Hinata's shoulder blades, his arms coming to hold her under her stomach, closer to her butt and legs.

She didn't like him touching her stomach anymore, endlessly self-conscious about her body after having Boruto. He didn't get it. He loved her. Even with a squishy tummy. _But_ , it bothered her. And as much as he loved playing pranks, messing around, flirting annoyingly with her and any and every inappropriate moment, he wanted her to _want_ his touches. If she wasn't comfortable with it, for whatever weird reason she had conjured up in her sleep deprived mind, he'd deal with it until it was resolved.

It was enough, just the two of them. His wife and his son. Sure, there was other things he wanted in his life. A bigger house. Becoming Hokage _dattebayo_! Maybe another kid or two, in the future. But if those things didn't happen -

If it was just him, Hinata and Boruto, sharing the same bed, forever,

He'd be fine with that.

…

But luckily, it wasn't just that.

His life would get fuller and fuller. So full that some days he thought his heart would burst straight through his chest.

Not even a year later, Naruto jumping up and down, begging Hinata to hurry up and get ready.

"Why are you so excited?" Hinata laughed. "It's just a walk."

Hinata had Boruto, sitting upright on the bed, putting his shoes on. His little boy could barely walk but demanded to do it anytime he was allowed. He was dressed as a real person now, which boggled Naruto's mind. He still thought of his son as a baby. He wasn't even one year old yet.

But Hinata had dressed him in a red long sleeve shirt and black pants. He had a matching black zip up jacket that Hinata was just going to carry. She was always pretty smart, thinking a head about things like that.

She always had a huge bag full of stuff Boruto might possibly need. Diapers, wipes, change of clothes, snacks, toys. Naruto shook his head, thoughts getting sidetracked about how spoiled his son was.

His little mini was kicking his toes, Hinata trying to time the swings with slipping on his little black bootie shoes, without disrupting him.

Yes, his son was spoiled.

"Come on Boruto-kun," Hinata sang, lifting his baby by the pudgy stomach and placing him lightly on the floor.

Less than a second, she held him, but his little chubby legs still kicked wildly to get free. Naruto would've rolled his eyes on any other day but he was too excited now.

" _Papa_ wants to go on a walk."

"Pa-pa." Boruto babbles, waddling over to Naruto, bouncing in place at the door. "Waaa. Waaa."

Hinata giggled, walking behind her son like the hawkish, over protective mother she was.

Naruto nodded, smiling. "Yes, walk!" He affirmed his son, leaning down and picking him up.

Boruto loved his mama. He favored Hinata when he was tired, when he was sad, when he was hungry. But he missed his papa all day. Boruto loved when his papa came home. He would squeal and giggle and jump straight into his papa's arms and say _papa_ over and over again. Naruto loved coming home to Boruto's excited kicks and hugs and Hinata's sweet kisses and snuggles.

He loved his family more than anything.

Which is why he was so excited for this walk.

He drug them out the front door and onto the street, holding Boruto in one arm and Hinata's hand in his other. He lead them closer into town instead of near the park, where they usually found a less secluded spot to have Boruto run around on. Hinata looked up at him, a soft question on her face.

Naruto bit back his smile and pulled her along faster, quickening the pace. He was too excited, afraid of himself, not wanting to give it away.

It took almost twenty minutes to get to the nicer side of town, a neighborhood with a clear view of the Hokage monument. The massive mountain over looked all of Konoha but some areas were more visible than others. From here, it looked picture perfect.

Naruto slowed at a large, brown house.

"It would probably look better with some flowers, huh Hime?" He asked, biting his lip with a knowing grin.

Hinata nodded absently. "Well I guess. But I'm sure whoever lives here is much too busy."

Whoever lives here. _Whoever lives here._ Naruto was practically shaking in excitement. Boruto still in hand, he bounded up the steps. Hinata stood back on the side walk, looking at him like he had lost his mind.

"Naruto-kun?"

He gestured over with his whole body, but she wouldn't budge. Her face was red, arms folded over, looking completely aghast. Boruto kicked frantically to get free but Naruto had plans.

Plans that involved Hinata getting her cute little ass over to the door before Boruto dissolved into an epic meltdown.

"Pa-pa," Boruto struggled against the hold.

"Hina, come on."

"But, you can't just go up to other people's houses." She pressed, but still stepped closer.

"Hurry up!" Naruto urged, little a small laugh edge into his whine.

Hinata sighed, one eyebrow still scrutinizing him but made her way up to the front door.

 _Painfully slow._

"You can't just walk up to other people's houses, Naruto." Hinata whispered, standing next to him on the bare stone steps.

She peaked around at the door, probably looking for an equally confused owner about to pop out and yell at them. Her eyes fell on the bare name plate. The dark house. The vacant steps, without even a door mat.

"Does anyone even live here?" She asked quietly, almost to herself.

Naruto had been waiting for this moment all day. All week. Months actually. Since he had got his raise at work from Kakashi, making saving money infinitely easier, his focus had been on this. A house. With an actual kitchen. Where they could have a dinner table. A real living room, with a couch. Boruto could have his own room.

They could even talk about having another kid!

A house, for his wife. For his family.

Naruto eased the keys out of his pocket, quietly as possible, and eased them into the front door, opening it with an ominous creak.

"Wha-" Hinata trailed off as the door opened.

It was dark inside but Naruto knew Hinata's vision had few limitations. The front of the house had the genkan, which would soon but filled with their shoes and slippers, but was currently bare. It lead down a hallway that Naruto knew lead to a living room, and a stair way, that lead to bedrooms on the second level.

"Are you surprised baby?" Naruto smirked, chest puffed out with pride.

It turned out, he was much more surprised by her reaction.

His heart sunk straight into the entry way when he heard her sniffle.

"Oh shit." He muttered, turning to face her. Her eyes flooded with tears, her bottom lip being crushed in between her teeth. "Shit, shit, shit, shit. _Shit_. Do you hate it?"

She shook her head no, but her eyes hadn't moved from inside the house.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" He begged.

The tears spilled out of her eyes, and trailed down her cheeks.

"Are you mad that I didn't tell you? Is it ugly? Do you not like the neighborhood? Please-"

"You really bought this?" Hinata quietly cut him off.

"Baby, honestly, I can un-buy it so easy. Please don't cry."

He probably couldn't. He hadn't ever thought that buying Hinata a house would make her cry. He felt beyond stupid. He felt like dumbest, worst husband who had ever tried to husband.

"You bought it for me?" She sniffled again.

"Yes, but I'm so sorry Hinata, honestly I-"

"I love it."

Naruto stopped, his shoulders sagging in relief.

"You love it?"

"So much." She sniffed. "So much. Can we go in."

Naruto scoffed. "Of course." He set Boruto down at the genkan and let his son make his way into the house on his own.

"Do you really like it?" Naruto asked, still a little shaken by his scare.

Hinata nodded, wiping the tears of her cheeks with the back of her fingers. She moved to step inside, but Naruto grabbed her back into his chest.

She looked up at him, eyes still shiny, her bottom lip plump and red. Naruto softly picking Hinata up behind her legs, to carry her easily into the house. They laughed quietly together at the cheesiness of it all.

"Papa?" Boruto looked up, confused at his parents.

Hinata wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck and pressed her face into his chest. "You have the _best Papa_ , Boruto."


	6. Naruto (sad)

He knew as soon as she came inside that something was wrong. Her "Tadaima." was lack luster, underneath his kids more excited and shrill greeting. She even turned her face so he caught her cheek in his "Okaeri." kiss.

He followed her into the house, his kids hanging off him like a jungle gym, telling them all about their play date at Mirai-nee's house.

She pointedly avoided his face and got right to work making lunch. The drawers and cupboards slammed a little too hard, chopping was a little too loud and the blank, impassive face, jaw clenched. She was mad, definitely mad.

She had only been at Kurenai's house. Not a place that was usually upsetting. Going to her father's house was a whole different story. Her sensei though, was always a place she enjoyed going.

He wondered if maybe the kids had done something to stress her out, but they looked to be on their best behavior, overlooking their rambunctious excitement to see him.

Boruto was the rowdiest child Naruto had ever seen, at least out of his friend's children. He was also painfully smart and mischievous, but Hinata was so patient and kind with him. When Naruto himself got to his wits end with the little boy, Hinata was a calming hand to ease both of them.

At four years old Boruto already knew how to read, knew basic math and had already started simple taijutsu training with Hinata. More than once he had heard Boruto praised as a future genius. A prodigy. It was sometimes unsettling to hear that about his own son, who was still little more than a baby. It was too much pressure, he thought, for a boy so young. But Boruto didn't seem effected at all, in fact, the discipline that such study had provided seemed to be beneficial to his behavior and attitude.

It was incredibly time consuming for Hinata, who had taken it all upon herself to school Boruto before the academy, instead of having him go to the civilian school or hire a tutor.

Especially while taking care of Himawari.

His daughter was the sweetest little girl that Naruto had ever encountered in his entire life. Ever. And obviously, she was the best. But she was _clingy_. Naruto didn't mind this. His little girl tugging at his pant legs, trailing at his feet, sitting beside his desk was more than heartwarming to the proud papa.

But Hinata took care of both of their children, alone. All day. Every day. Not to mention the cooking. Cleaning. Shopping. Budgeting. Scheduling. Keeping up with her friends and family. Hinata did it all. She was the most amazing mom and wife that Naruto knew.

He was complete shit at helping her out too. He tried. He always tried. But he would end up using the wrong cleaner, or mixing them into an accidental dangerous concoction. Or he would rip open the bag of frozen vegetables when there was resalable opening. He tended to over salt things or under cook them. He played too loud before bedtime and riled the kids up.

Hinata was never mad about it, though. She'd give him a kiss on the cheek and smile, thank him for his help, or redirect him to a more helpful task that he could actually manage.

Naruto truly wished he could bring Hinata to work with him. He was a thousand percent convinced that Hinata could do his job better, more efficiently that he ever could. He could probably get home earlier even.

Plus, he really missed her all day.

Which is why he looked forward to weekends. When he could spend more time with his family.

His gorgeous, smart, sexy, beautiful wife who settled his children at the table and quickly got to making lunch for everyone, who had taken his kids out of the house so he could sleep in on his day off, who always thought of her family first before herself, Hinata Uzumaki, **was upset**.

 _Actually,_ _ **upset**_ , if Naruto was reading her right.

He liked to think he was.

Naruto scooted next to her at the counter, watching her put sandwiches together. "Uh," He ruffled the back of his hair, side eyeing her. "Want me to help with anything?"

"No, _Naruto_." Hinata snapped quicker than Naruto expected. "Thank you." She amended, softly, because it wasn't in her nature to be quippy.

But the damage was done.

Naruto's throat when dry as he turned more to face her. _Naruto_. The way she said his name.

' _So, she's mad at_ me _.'_ His stomach clenched.

He let his arm come behind her back, to settle softly behind her shoulder blades. Her back was rigid and she made no other gesture that she noticed.

"I'll just go sit down then, baby." Naruto, frowned and settled next to Boruto at the table.

His son immediately launched into a story about Mirai and Shikadai. Himawari crawled into his lap. But he couldn't take his eyes off his wife's back.

Hinata wasn't a petty person. She wasn't emotionally manipulative. She didn't play mind games with him. She was genuinely upset with something that he had done. And she wasn't just drawing it out, she was waiting. Their children would go down for naptime, after lunch, and that's when the whole ordeal would actually be hashed out.

She didn't like fighting in front of the children.

Not that they fought often. Hardly at all.

Like he said, Hinata wasn't like that. It took a lot to provoke anything out of her.

But he had done it. He had made her mad. Mad enough to want to fight.

The only problem was, he was one hundred percent at a loss as to why.

He couldn't remember doing a single thing that could make her this upset. To warrant anything like this.

"Shikadai was at Mirai's?" Naruto asked, asking a polite follow-up question to his son's story.

"Yep, uh huh." Boruto nodded. "He came with Shikamaru-oji."

"Oh, that's fun."

"Yes," Hinata agreed, her voiced still chilled and painfully controlled. "He had quite a lot to share."

Naruto eyed Hinata, thoroughly confused, as he ate his lunch. Had Shikamaru said something to piss Hinata off? And he was just receiving the brunt of it.

It didn't sound right, for Shikamaru or Hinata. Shikamaru rarely put his foot in his mouth, at least with anyone that wasn't his own wife. Hinata was also not one to hold Naruto's friend's actions against him.

Hinata and Shikamaru actually had a good friendship, outside of being Shinobi. It had been something that took some getting used to when they were first dating. But they had often spent time together at Kurenai's and taking care of Mirai together when they were still teenagers.

He didn't get long to think about it though. Faster than he thought, lunch was finished and the was helping tuck his children into bed.

As soon as Himawari's door was shut, Naruto grabbed Hinata's wrist.

She had already turned around, to walk away from him, closer to their bedroom. He didn't want to wait until their room. He couldn't wait another second.

"Hinata, please. Just tell me-"

"Shikamaru told me." Hinata spoke over him, her voice hard steel.

Naruto stopped too, his back becoming as hard and straight as Hinata's.

 _That_. He had not expected that to come into any conversation he had with Hinata. He had been so sure that anything Hinata was upset about would be a miscommunication or something he could easily fix, but…

"Why?" Hinata rounded on him unexpectedly.

Naruto took a step back. "Why, what?" He asked quickly, his eyes darting around, looking for something to say. He was unprepared. Caught off guard.

"Why would you tell Kakashi that you weren't ready? Why did you tell him to wait, _Naruto_? Why?" She was much more upset that he ever thought. He had never even made her this upset during their marriage. Ever.

Why had he? When Kakashi had approached him, confiding in his intent to step down. If Naruto was ready to place his bid. Yes, a _bid_ to run. He would never just get the position handed to him. Naruto had told him he wasn't ready yet. Why?

Because he went to work before his children even ate breakfast, sometimes before they were even awake. He was rarely home for dinner, usually there to see them already bathed in their pajamas, to watch them play for a few minutes before bedtime as he ate left overs. He watched his wife, night after night, prepare for the next day to take care of everything by herself. He watched the bags under her eyes as she side lined herself over and over. She never whined, never complained, sent him off to work with a packed bento and a kiss. Welcomed him to a warm, spotless house, with his children happy, healthy and her ready to cuddle him to sleep, her hands brushing through his hair as she listened to all of his issues at work. She let him sleep in on the weekends, and didn't even bat an eye when he needed to go back in to take care of something at work.

He couldn't take more time away from his family. Not now. Not when they needed him. The small amount he even did.

"It's not the right time." Naruto whispered.

"Why? Being Hokage is your dream. How could side line your dream?"

He could honestly not think of answer to deescalate the fight. So he just decided to be honest. "The kids are just so young. And you-"

"You did this for me?" Hinata's voice was the closest thing to yelling that Naruto had heard. "I'm supposed to make you better, _Naruto_. We are supposed to make you better."

"You do!"

"Not like this. Not by holding you back." Tears were already spilling out on to her cheeks.

She ripped her wrist out of his hand easily, and turned down the hall.

"I want to be alone."

Naruto froze. The last time she had said that, she had followed up with hearing him accidently confess his love to her, then left him to marry a weird alien who kidnapped her sister and tried to catapult the moon into the earth and then he immediately almost died after.

It wasn't a pleasant memory.

"Hinata," His voice cracked.

"Please, _Naruto_." She sniffed, still obviously crying.

Naruto let go of her, his hand aching with the need to snatch her back. To stop his bedroom door from shutting, separating him from his wife. He could hear the door click shut and a shift of weight as his wife's body slumped against it. She let out a sob, like a cough. Naruto continued to stare at the door, listening to his wife cry. Slowly, he heard her slide down the door.

He could only imagine her, leaning against it, crying. Alone.

She was only on the other side of it. Just a piece of wood separating them. Naruto could open it if he wanted to. It wasn't locked. It would take barely any effort at all to open it even if it was. He could tear any door down that was put in front of him if he wanted to.

If he really, wanted to, he could keep Hinata from stepping away from him too. He was stronger than her. He was stronger than almost anyone.

But he couldn't.

He respected his wife. Loved her. She wanted to be alone.

Even if it made him feel like a child. The way she had said his name while upset. " _Naruto_." She had been so mad at him. Wanted space away from him.

It reminded him too much of being a little kid. Dirty. Alone. "It's that boy." People would whisper. He would get kicked out of shops, even when he had money to pay. People crossed the street when they saw him coming, and forbid their children from playing with him.

He had grown up cold and alone.

He clenched his hands into fists as they started to shake. He tried to refocus his vision on the door. "That not what's happening." He whispered to himself.

It wasn't about him. He needed to stop being self. He had hurt Hinata, his wife, and she wanted a moment to deal with her emotions alone. She wasn't abandoning him. She didn't hate him. Naruto clenched his jaw and crouched down in front of the door as well. He rested his back softly against the wood, closing his eyes as he listened to his wife's soft cries, trying to ground himself in reality.

He loved his wife, and his family. When nap time was over in two hours, he would try and make things right. But until then, he could do the one thing that his wife had asked him to do.

He waited outside the bedroom.


	7. Nanadaime-sama

Nanadaime

His hangover had been killer.

A cannon ball to the stomach was a less than satisfactory waking experience.

Hinata's breakfast? Always good. Hinata explaining the situation about his robe and the ridiculous amount of embroidery, plus offering to go get it – well his wife had always been awesome so no surprises there.

His kids sat at the table across from each other, finishing up their breakfast. He had told Hinata that he could bring them to the ceremony. He was a competent parent. A semi-functioning husband. A good enough ninja. He was minutes from being the _Hokage_ after all.

Plus, this is what he had wanted, to be able to help Hinata out more with the kids before he albeit abandoned her for a time consuming job.

We watched his kids finish up their breakfast through his hangover fog, his daughter sitting next to him, as always, finishing up her salmon. Boruto sat across from her, shouting about something that Naruto couldn't make out through his full body cringe from the sound. Panda-chan sat in her usual spot next to Himawari, at the corner of the table. Hinata's spot, next to Boruto, was empty.

Naruto didn't know when their next family meal would be. Just being Kakashi's assistant had been a heavy work load, that kept him away often. 

Now…

He could hear his children arguing in one of the bedrooms. Naruto sat at their genkan, shoes on, shoulders slumped. He really shouldn't have drank so much the night before. Even the kids bickering from across the house was grating. But that wasn't the worst of it. They were running late. They need to leave now. And his kids were acting exactly like little kids. The audacity.

"It's time to go, hurry up." Naruto called, not for the first time. Or even third.

He sighed, knowing he was probably going to have to go get them himself. He rubbed the sleiep out of his eyes and hoped that he looked better than he felt during the inauguration.

Suddenly the room went silent. His headache sighed in relief. They might even make it on time!

But the crashing that followed was more than ominous.

Boruto flew out of the bedroom, crashing into the hallway wall. "Dad! Run! Himawari's gone crazy!"

"What?"

Slowly his daughter emerged from the bedroom, walking with small, precise steps. Her face was dark, eyes narrowed, mouth set. But her eyes weren't her eyes. Himawari looked very similar to a little Hinata, except angry.

And scary.

"The Byakugan?" Naruto asked.

Himawari slowly pointed two fingers in Boruto's direction. "Locked. On." She muttered, robotically.

"What is going-" Before Naruto could finished, Himawari lunged a jyuken straight at Boruto.

No matter how much training Boruto had received, or how much potential everyone thought he had, Naruto knew he was no match for the power of that hit he was watching. Doing the only thing he could to protect his son, he jumped in the way.

He didn't wake up for a long time after.

It was much later in the night when he finally regained consciousness.

He was sitting at the table, after trying to eat some dinner. His children were sleeping cozily on the couch as Hinata was tiding up. His cheeks were still pink and embarrassed from admitting to Hinata that he thought of the whole village as his family. Like some dork.

But his gorgeous, sweet, pretty, really nice wife just smiled at him.

Fuck, he was super in love with her.

"You have a big day tomorrow. I'll make you some tea." She kissed his forehead, her hand gently rubbing his back.

Yeah, he loved her a whole lot.

He rested his forehead against the table as he heard Hinata softly carry each of his children to their beds and tuck them in. Usually he would jump at the chance to help, that had been his biggest reason for postponing this day for almost two years, his desire to help Hinata with their children. But getting K. this morning, while suffering from the worst hangover of his adult life, left him basically an invalid.

She was back in a couple minutes though, with a cup of tea, sitting down next to him.

"Thank you." He breathed, taking a sip and scalding his mouth. "Hot!"

Hinata just giggled.

Setting his cup back on the table, it needed cooling off, he looked over at his wife.

Her short hair was sexy. Her face, unblemished and almost unaged. She was still wearing her outfit from this morning. Black matching shirt and skirt. It was supposed to be modest, high collard and long sleeved. Hinata was cursed though, to make any outfit look sexy.

At least to him.

She was placed a photograph in a new frame, one that he hadn't seen before. Must've been knew. He leaned over to take a look, surprised to see a photo of his family, with him in it. Except, it wasn't him.

"Hey, how did you guys take this picture?" Naruto finally asked.

"Konohamaru." Hinata giggled.

Naruto made an aghast face. "Whaaaaat?"

Hinata giggled some more, nodding. "Yes, we still wanted to have a picture." She got up to place the picture on one of their shelves.

Naruto glared over at the photo now in a new light, imagining that stupid little brat hugging Hinata, in his robe and hat. ' _Little fucking_ shit.' Naruto seethed, inwardly.

Hinata's arms returned, wrapped around his shoulder's, her hands rubbing the front of his chest, pull her body flush against his back. Her chest pressing into his shoulder blades, her head resting against his, her breath tickling his ear.

Miraculously, he felt much more awake and rejuvenated.

"Don't be too hard on him, _Nanadaime-sama_." She kissed the side of his cheek, chastely.

Naruto's head tilted down, one eyebrow jutting up. And that wasn't that only thing. His mind was suddenly flooded with unsavory images of Hinata, and a couple things he could think of doing with her. Tonight. Right that moment, specifically.

"Are you actually grumpy?" Hinata asked quietly, peering around to look at his face. "Konohamaru-kun was only being helpful-"

His hand clamped around her wrist, locking her against him. Slowly his eyes met hers, burning.

 _He was done talking about Konohamaru_.

"Say it again." His voice was deep, raspy.

Hinata's cheeks pinkened, hearing how low it had gotten. "About Konohamaru?"

" _No_." He almost rolled his eyes. Almost.

He really did try not to act like a petulantly little baby to his wife. Especially when he had plans to fuck her in mere moments. He would much rather be viewed as an equal partner, instead of a whiny man-child.

"Say what-"

Hinata didn't get to finish her question.

Naruto was quick. Not to down play how fast his wife was, because she was incredibly swift. She was a master of gentle fist after all. But Naruto was arguably one of the fastest people in the world (he was ignoring that fact that his four-year-old had one-punched him that every morning). He had lost to Hinata in a spar before, she was strong, fast and capable and only not promoted to Jonin by her own choice. But he did catch her off guard.

As gentle as he was fast, Naruto had yanked Hinata from behind him and laid her onto the wood flooring of their kitchen.

She blinked up at him, for a moment, reorienting herself to her new position, just in time for Naruto to ascend upon her.

"Feeling better?" She asked, a coy flirt in her voice.

"Your tea. It's miracle." Naruto pinned her should down, pressing her back down.

"Naruto-kun, no. Not in the kitchen." Because his wife was smart, and strong, she knew the exact move to get away from him. One hand on his should, her hips twisting left, pushing off from his and sliding up out of his grasp.

He was just too strong.

His hand wrapped around her small ankle, her black nylons felt like silk on his fingers.

"Excuse me?" Naruto tugged. "Are you disobeying your Hokage?"

His hand slid up her leg, dipping under her black skirt, his face narrowing in on hers.

Hinata looked at him for a moment before he saw the change in her eyes. The little, playful glint. "I would never." She promised, no longer pulling away, instead her hands coming up to his chest, toying with the buttons on his shirt. " _Nanadaime-sama_."

Naruto growled involuntarily.

He was going to be very tired tomorrow.


	8. Hokage

It was naïve for Naruto to admit, but he didn't realize exactly how much becoming Hokage would affect his family.

Life was so much busier than he ever imagined, so much more work than when he was just an assistant. Which would seem self-explanatory. Even when he worked under Kakashi, there were more nights than not when he wouldn't make it home to say good night to his kids. When he would have to leave before they even woke up.

It already felt like he missed so much. So many little moments that he wouldn't be able to get back.

Just how much it affected them though, wouldn't become apparent until it was much too late to do anything about it. When he finally did realize them, they struck like a freight train.

Missing his children's birthdays was something that he had found out, pretty quickly, that he did not enjoy. It just so happened that it fell at the same time of the most packed time of the year for the hokage. The chunin exams. Some nights during that time of the year, he wouldn't even be able to make it home.

Hinata was understanding. "You're the _Hokage_." She would say with a smile.

He had clones in the city, usually running small errands for his office, like delivering something small. Anything to lessen the work load for his staff. Anything to shorten his own amount of time at work.

Every now and then he would see Hinata.

Hinata had a strict n _o clones_ policy. Something she enacted while they were dating, before they were even married. Not that he wasn't allowed to use them ever, just around her. This clearly annoyed him to no end, and really put a cramp in him helping her out while he was away.

But that _no clones_ thing had only got worse after Himawari's birthday. And how he had fucked that up. He had promised Boruto he would be there. Man to man. But it was the busiest time of the year for the Hokage. There was just no possible way he would've made it home on time that day. And he had ruined it.

Boruto hadn't forgiven him, not until a bunch of aliens eating chakra like food pills had fucked up his whole village. But Hinata had understood immediately.

Obviously, he would still see the disappointment on her face. He could feel the sadness in her. He had ruined their daughter's birthday. He had tried to make it up after the fact, but that didn't really change what he had done originally. That he had sidelined his family.

But Hinata had replied, "You're the _Hokage_."

That was the first time she had said it, that it didn't sit right with him.

He was the Hokage. He was proud to be the Hokage. He had worked for it, for years. His blood, sweat, tears, time. He had sacrificed everything for it. He was proud as well at what he had done for Konoha. The peace that he helped make. The booming economy and infrastructure. He hadn't done it alone, but still, he was proud. Proud of his village, his country, his people.

There was still something off though.

One day, a clone of his spotted Hinata at the market. ' _That's boss' wife_.' His clone stopped and looked over. Watching her.

She was as gorgeous as usual, but alone this time, and not accompanies by her ever present daughter. She was carrying _bags_ of fresh produce, and though she had been a capable and strong kunoichi, it looked like a lot to carry in one person's arms without being awkward and uncomfortable.

The Naruto Clone was torn. On the one hand, he knew that if he was the Boss, that he would've helped his wife in an instant. But he didn't want to get in trouble from the Man In Charge for pissing off his wife.

Turns out he didn't have to deliberate long. Someone else had swooped in to help her. The clone knew him too. Long brown hair, half covered in a hat. Senbon need sticking out of his mouth. Lazy gait to match his lazy smile.

Clone Naruto watched through narrow blue eyes as Shiranui Genma grabbed one of Hinata's bags. He watched her smile and easily accept his help. He watched them walk off together, jovially, back to the Uzumaki house.

The clone frowned, eyebrows furrowing. _'Boss would want to know about this_.' He scuffed the back of his knuckles on the wall next to him, hard enough to break the skin, the abrasion was enough, and waited a few heart beats to ' _poof'_ from existence.

Real Naruto, looked up for a moment, the second-hand memories mulling over in his mind as his jaw hardened. Shikamaru noticed immediately, and paused his speech, there was nothing more he hated then being ignored and having to repeat himself.

"Something wrong?" He sighed.

Naruto rubbed the back of his hand, feeling the ghost of scrape on his knuckles. "Shiranui Genma. How much of a piece of shit do you think he is?"

Shikamaru startled. "Genma? _He works for you_." He accused.

"Outside of work?" Naruto elaborated.

"I'm guessing you are not asking my professional opinion." Shikamaru rubbed the space between his brows.

Naruto clicked his teeth together, giving him a little finger point.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I don't know. He's kinda cocky sometimes, but not too loud or too stupid to make his company unbearable. Maybe a little goofy when he wants to be. We gone out with him a couple of times." He reminded him, alluding to the fact that Naruto, did not in fact, need to ask his opinion about someone so well known to them.

The tokubetsu jonin worked directly for each hokage since Lord Third, when Naruto had just been a genin. He did work for Naruto. Naruto did know him. He had gone out with him outside of work like Shikamaru had mentioned. He was nice, relaxed, funny. Until now, Naruto had no reason to dislike him.

Now…

Naruto didn't stop thinking about Genma and Hinata until he came home, well after his family would be asleep. At almost a quarter to midnight, his house was dark. There were leftover for him in the fridge, with a sticky note taped to it, a little picture on it of him and Himawari, obviously drawn by her.

Of course, Hinata had left him food, ready to be warmed whenever he arrived. If he even arrived. He wasn't hungry though. His appetite had been ruined since he couldn't get thoughts of Hinata out of his head all day.

Hinata was asleep when Naruto got to his bedroom. He could've been quiet enough not to wake her. He could've been. But he wasn't.

"Naruto-kun," She greeted sleepily.

She was cute in her pajamas, her bob sexily mused. But he didn't reply. Instead he turned away from her, unbuttoning his shirt.

"Is something wrong?"

He could've said no. Could've acted normal. Could've been a good husband.

But he didn't.

He wanted to fight.

So, they did.

He had been married to her long enough to know how to start a fight with her. And though usually he had tried to avoid those at all costs, he did know how to do it. Especially if he just accused to upfront of spending inappropriate time with a different man. Insinuating that she was a bad wife. Asking her where their daughter had been, if she even knew.

Most of them he knew were ridiculous. Especially about Himawari. Hinata was a hawk mom, and there was nowhere that their children went that she didn't know about.

But somewhere along the lines, of his accusations, he felt that inkling that he was wrong.

He was irrationally upset.

But why?

"If you were spying on me, then you would know he didn't even step foot into our house." Hinata snapped, zoning Naruto back into their ongoing fight.

The one he had started. Out of pettiness.

"Spying?" Naruto shot back. "Checking up on your own wife is spying? Maybe it wouldn't be spying if you didn't have something to hide. Or if you didn't ban my shadow clones for doing anything for you."

"I told you, that I didn't want you to have to worry about me while you were at work." She pressed. "I know that you're busy, that people count on you. You're the _Hokage_. I don't want to add to-"

There it was. The way she had said it again.

He wasn't sure why when she said it like that, it made him so upset. But it did.

Naruto's eyes flashed red. "Well maybe if you actually did your damn job, I wouldn't have to be worried about you!"

The words were out of his mouth faster than he could think about the consequences of saying them. Louder, he practically screamed at her. In the middle of the night. He could've woken up his children.

But besides that, Hinata didn't deserve it.

Instead of trying to deal with any of that, he turned around and slammed the door behind him. His heart was racing and his chakra was flaring dangerously.

' _Why are you so upset?'_ He asked himself desperately.

He didn't know. But he was. He was so angry he almost felt out of control. Like when he was a child. When Kurama's chakra would poses his body without his consent.

But why was he so mad right now? He knew, truthfully, that Hinata would never do anything else with anyone else, let alone Genma, who was just being nice. That Hinata was the most understand wife that anyone could have, did have. He was so lucky to have her. To be with her. He was lucky to have his family. For everything.

Through the quiet night, he heard it, the muffled sound of crying. Someone trying to cry quietly, so they wouldn't be heard.

It was like a tsunami, crushing him. The realization not washing over him, but destroying him.

He wanted to more than the " _Hokage_ ". He was Hinata's husband. He was Bourto and Himawari's father. He wanted to be home for dinner. To eat with them. He wanted to be there for every single one of their birthdays.

 _He wanted to carry Hinata's groceries home._

And he was a piece of shit for yelling at his wife. Especially because she had done nothing wrong. Nothing even close to wrong. His wife who had only ever supported and encouraged and loved him.

He was back in his bedroom, as fast as he could move. Which was faster than the normal eye could see. Hinata, an advanced, amazing kunoichi hadn't even registered his presence back into the room yet. Her hands were covering her face, pressed hard against her skin. Like she was trying to keep the tears in the sobs muffled.

Naruto's heart sank, just like he did when he was little kid. Knowing he was a stupid fuck-up. He didn't know how he was going to make it up to her. Didn't know how someone apologized for being such a piece of shit.

He just did the first thing that he wanted to do.

He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her into his chest. His face buried into her neck, trying to her as close to himself as humanly possible.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I yelled at you. Please don't cry Hina, I'm so sorry."

His jaw clenched painfully, his own voice grated his ears and sounded so fucking stupid. But he was sorry. So sorry and he didn't know how to just _fucking tell her_.

"I was mad. Not at you. Never at you. You're perfect and amazing and I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at _me_. For being a piece of shit."

"Don't s-s-say that." Hinata's voice was warbled with tears, and her hands still held her face, trying to wipe tears away before they fell.

"It's true. I've been a shit husband and dad and I'm sorry because you don't deserve it. You don't deserve any of this. And I don't want to be just the Hokage. I want to be there for you, for my family, like I'm supposed to."

Her hands were on him, before he could finish talking, gripping both sides of his face, furiously between her hands. _Furiously_. She still had tears on her cheeks, and her voice still caught with her cries, but she looked _angry_ now.

"I don't ever want to hear you say that again, Uzumaki Naruto." Her voice was so even and cold, that Naruto's voice straightened involuntarily.

Like when Naruto had almost succumbed to Obito's taunts, not minutes after Neji had died in his arms. Hinata had slapped him right in the face.

This time, thankful, he had not been hit. (Not that he thought he didn't deserve it.)

But the scene was the same.

"You are the **Hokage**." She pressed, her voice still hard as stone with an expression to match. "You are a great _Hokage_. You have done some much for the village. For the world. You kept every single promise that you've made. I knew what it would be like when you became _Hokage_. The children are children, but one day they will understand too."

She looked at him for a long time. "You are my husband, a good husband. You're a good papa too. I love you. Don't doubt your family."

She glared at him until he nodded and then she finally let his face go. He didn't let her go though. Hinata had to forced him to lay down, with her still held tightly in his arms. She allowed him to hold her, making up for so many nights when he didn't get to. She understood, because she always understood him.

"I'm sorry hime." He whispered, after a long stretch of quiet, unable to shake his guilt.

She shushed him softly, letting her fingers run through his hair, methodically. "Go to sleep." She whispered softly.


	9. Always Be Naruto-kun

Life was not a fairy tale. Everything wasn't perfect. There were dark times, and hard times. Times, he didn't want to think about anymore.

Especially when he was younger.

Even in his marriage, there were times that were harder than others. He also remembered a very recent, dark time when his own son hated him.

But Naruto loved his life.

When he woke up in the morning, birds weren't singing. The sun wasn't shinning. There was no pitter-patter of little children feet, or their giggles echoing through the house. His wife wasn't wrapped in his arms romantically, or waking him up with breakfast.

It was a little after four in the morning. It was dark and cold outside. Winter time, nearing the Rinne Festival. Boruto was on a mission and Himawari was on a school trip. His wife was on her side of the bed, in warm pajamas, peacefully sleeping.

Naruto yawned and rolled closer to his wife. He didn't want to wake her up, it was too early for that. But he missed her. He liked her. He wanted to be around her.

He pressed his face into her back, his arm laying across her side softly. She was squishy under all the blankets, and the ends of her hair tickled the top of his head. He took in a deep breath, smelling their laundry detergent, Hinata's shampoo, the understated floral tones that he always associated with his wife, and especially their room.

As he exhaled, she shifted away. "That tickles."

"Sorry." Naruto pressed his face tighter against her back, feeling her shoulder blades, her spine digging into his cheeks.

' _She's getting too skinny.'_ Naruto frowned to himself.

She yawned, her back arching away from his involuntarily. Her head fell back, her hair now going into his eyes. It ended with a hum, her curling back into the blankets.

"Did you wake me up to make you breakfast?" Hinata asked, face muffled by her pillows.

Naruto smiled. "No."

He felt Hinata turn her head, narrowing her eyes to appraise his reply.

Naruto ducked further down her back, hiding his grin, trying not to laugh. He could never hide from her though.

"I just wanted to snuggle you!" He finally let out a laugh. "Honest, 'ttebayo."

She hummed again, in a way that only she could, like ' _you're full of shit,_ Naruto-kun' but still sound cute and sweet.

He finally started laughing for real. "I promise!"

Her hand came up to caress his, drawing soft circles on his arm, slung across her stomach. He lay like that in total bliss for a couple minutes, trying not to fall back asleep but lulled into a soft rest. Alone time with Hinata like this was always peaceful, relaxing. Like meditating, but better.

And rare.

Too soon, her hand circled his wrist, pulling him off.

"Noooooo," He whined, but obliged, throwing himself back on his side of the bed, frowning.

He thought she was forcing him to get ready. But instead, she was getting out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" He watched her, through hooded eyes.

She stood up and grabbed a little over sweater from a chair next to the bed, slipping it on easily, much to his distain. She was super hot. Like, _villainously_ hot. She was blocking his view. She knew it too, giving him a smile, because his wife didn't smirk, and tied the knit loosely under her bust, barely framing her hour glass figure.

"I'm going to make you breakfast."

Naruto smiled. "I promise that's not why I woke you up."

"Mmmmhmmm." She hummed again.

"Hime!" Naruto laughed after her as she walked out of the room. "I promise!"

He could hear her walk down the hall, to the stairs headed to the kitchen. He lay in his bed for a moment longer, smiling.

Couple minutes later his face was washed, clean clothes on, mouth minty fresh and he was sliding into his seat at the kitchen table. She looked over from the pot she was stirring and smiled at him.

Oven grilled salmon, fresh miso soup, warm rice and pickled radish, along with piping hot tea was the extent of his breakfast spread. She laid it all in front of him and turned back to the kitchen.

He caught her quickly. "Eat with me."

Naruto didn't think that Hinata lost weight on purpose. She was just prone to feeding everyone else and working on the house all day, and he had seen her enough times get side tracked from eating herself. Now that Himawari was at school, he was sure that there was less of a reason for her to remember meal times during the day. It was definitely starting to show on the hollows of her cheeks, the bones on her arms, the bagginess of her pajamas.

"I was going to make your lunch."

"Ehh," Naruto pulled her back to the table. "Screw lunch."

"Is that what your tummy is going to say at noon today?" Hinata asked, smiling.

"Don't worry about my tummy woman and sit down with me." Naruto almost tugged her onto his lap, making her laugh.

"Alright, alright, alright." She giggled trying to get back up. "Let me go get a bowl."

She came back with her own bowl of rice, and a bowl of miso. Naruto gave her a piece of his salmon and was disappointed when she sat in her own chair. They ate together in relative silence for a few minutes.

"Hey, why don't you come have lunch with me today?" He asked.

"Your tummy is already at noon?" She poked him lightly in the ribs.

"Nooo," He sang. "I just miss you and wanna see you at lunch, you know. Works slower right now because of the festival, and the kids are gone. I thought it would be… nice."

She smiled, nodding her head.

"Only if you're not busy." Naruto amended quickly, because Hinata would never actually let him know if she was or not. "What do you have planned?" He asked, genuinely interested in her day.

"Mostly cleaning. I was going to walk to my dad's to see if he still needed my help with some stuff. Then maybe walk around downtown, see if the kids need anything else for presents." She took a sip of tea. "But, I could certainly have lunch with you."

Naruto smiled. "Thank god your cleaning the place. You're really letting it go."

She looked like she was going to bite him but instead shoved a piece of fish into her mouth, frowning at him while she chewed. Naruto's house was surgically clean at all times. The last time he had even seen an inkling of a mess was right after Himawari had been born.

He cackled at his own joke. His poor wife.

"If you don't get around to looking for presents, maybe we could walk around after work together? If they still open." He added, as an afterthought.

Just because it was a slower time of year, didn't mean that he still had a lot of shit to do.

Hinata finally smiled, forgiving him for even insinuating that her house was anything less than pristine. At least for the moment.

"I'd like that."

Work went by slower than normal, he found that usually happened when he had something to look forward too.

But his last meeting before lunch time, was with Sakura. She was the hospitals head for medical ninjas stationed there. Their liaison for anything they needed, if it couldn't be handled with the hospital's higher ups.

After finishing up most of their business talk, Naruto asked Sakura to stay and chat until Hinata arrived back. He didn't want Shikamaru giving him anything else to do and possibly ruining his lunch time with his wife.

They talked about Boruto and Sarada and their mission they were currently on. Naruto had assigned it, as he personally assigned every mission. But he couldn't give too much away. Protocol and red tape were thick and Sakura might've been a head of a department but that didn't mean she was privileged to everything.

"If Sarada doesn't make it back soon, I'll be spending the festival by myself." Sakura lamented. "I'll probably just go to your house. Hinata's dinner will probably be better than Ino's."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "No contest." His chest puffed out with pride. "But we'll probably have to go to her dad's house." He frowned.

"Trouble with the in-laws?" Sakura asked like she had any experience at all with that.

She didn't.

"No." Naruto like Hyuga Hiashi well enough. They got along and he was a good grandfather to his kids. "Hinata just does too much when we're over there. I don't want her to get stressed out."

"Plus," Naruto got a stupid, chummy look on his face. "Rinne Festival is kinda like the anniversary when we got together."

"You're so pathetic." Sakura laughed.

"It's called being 'romantic' and don't come at me because you've never experienced it." Naruto huffed.

Sakura stuck her tongue out.

"So, is she still keeping herself way too busy?" Sakura asked.

Naruto gave her an exhausted look. "Honestly, I think she works more than I do in a day. She never stops. She never has an off switch. I have to force her to cuddle me on the couch just to give her a break."

"I don't need to hear about your intimate cuddles." Sakura laughed.

Naruto shrugged. "Jealous."

"Hinata's always been like that. Just let it go." Sakura spoke off-handedly, leaning back into her chair. "Probably from her dad."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"You think you could grow up with Hyuga Hiashi and come out unscathed?"

He thought of Hinata's almost detrimental work ethic. Her inability to seek any sort of help. To have anyone even allude to her not being able to handle every single thing, completely by herself.

He saw the scars on her hands, torn open over and over again from repetition. At first, he thought that it was a normal consequence of training with Gentle Fist. But he had never seen any other Hyuga with scars, or if they did, nowhere near as bad as Hinata's. Never seen them on Hanabi. Couldn't even remember them on Neji. Nothing close to either of his children training so far had led to a single mark on their hands.

It really just the way his wife was. Whether from her upbringing, her desperate need to please, to prove herself. So similar to himself.

Paired with her raw determination and support to ensure that he himself succeeded in everything he did. Including being Hokage.

Those two traits meant that she would never, ever cave and ask him for anything. Even if she actually needed it.

It was a deep realization that left him feeling hallow. He had seen it before in her. One of their biggest fights to date had been about it. Because he loved his wife, more than anything. He wanted her life to be the best life ever – _dattebyo_.

"Get that look off your face. Looks like your brains broken." Sakura laughed. "Plus, you're not much better. Not only are you a people pleasers, but you want to take care of every single thing in Hinata's life."

Naruto frowned. "I do not."

"Yes you do."

"Do not."

" _Yes, you do."_

His door clicked open.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata smiled at him before, turning to Sakura. "I'm sorry. If I had known you'd be here, I would've brought you some lunch too." Hinata bowed, apologetically.

Sakura looked ready to wave her off when Naruto beat her to it. "Sakura doesn't deserve any of your food, Hina. She's a cranky old hag that needs to get back to work."

"Don't be such a brat, _Naruto-kun_." She sneered at him, making fun of him, not Hinata, and cuffed him on the back of the head.

"Ow, that hurt 'ttebayo." He rubbed the spot, frowning.

"Big baby." Sakura shoved her papers into her bag and threw them over her shoulder. "Enjoy your lunch, Hinata."

The girls bid farewell and Hinata soon took Sakura's place in front of his desk. Which Naruto rolled his eyes at, and personally got up, scooting Hinata's chair to his side of the desk, next to him. She smiled and followed behind him, sitting so close their thighs touched and got out two matching bentos and handed him a pair of chopsticks.

"Sorry I called you _Naruto-kun_ at work." She bit her lip nervously.

Naruto scoffed. "It was only in front of Sakura."

"Well," Hinata took a little bite of rice and chewed slowly. "You're probably getting too old for it anyways. It's probably embar-"

Naruto choked on a piece of chicken. "Excuse me?" He sputtered.

Hinata looked over at him, surprised by his change in octave.

"You _cannot_ stop calling me Naruto-kun." He pressed.

She wrinkled her nose a little at him, one of her eye brows raising in her silent question.

Naruto looked down kind of embarrassed, stirring his food around. "It's my favorite." He finally caved, quietly.

He was sure he was blushing, his bottom lip pouting, very un-Hokage-like. He felt kind of silly. Just like the big baby Sakura said he was.

Hinata set her food down, perched on the edge of Naruto's desk and leaned her head on his arm.

"You will always be _my Naruto-kun_."


End file.
